The Miss World Warrior Pageant
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Insanity and mayhem ensues as eight of Street Fighter's lovely ladies compete for the title of Miss World Warrior. The final chapter has been added. Who will win the pageant?
1. An Offer She Can't Refuse

The Miss World Warrior Pageant  
  
A Street Fighter Fanfiction  
  
By The Headcrook  
  
Legal Disclaimer: All characters are the property of...aw, forget it!  
  
Prologue: A Proposal She Can't Refuse  
  
-Outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia-  
  
Nighttime. A young woman walked up the small dirt road that led to her lakeside lodge. She lived outside the city limits, as not to draw attention to herself. She was in her mid-twenties, of European ancestry, with long auburn hair tied into a bun, with several strands framing her face. She was dressed in a simple navyblue business suit with a white blouse underneath.  
  
She was known to her co-workers as Julia Sara Reindhart. But to a select few, she was known as Juli.  
  
She had made a new life for herself, with the help of Cammy White. Ever since being thrown out of Shadowlaw for failing to capture Cammy and defeating the fighter Ryu Hoshi years earlier, she fled from her former headquarters and after travelling all over Europe, finally settled in Canada. Promising herself to go straight, she mamanged to get a good job working at a security firm and have quickly rose through the ranks. Plus, it allowed her to travel the world, so that was a good bonus.  
  
She was haflway there when a small chattering sound nearby. Juli turned to the source of the sound and was surprised to see a small golden lion tamarine monkey perched on a nearby bush. The monkey had a small backpack and a collar wire. Standing behind the small monkey, was the Vietnamese doll Santamu (doll for August).   
  
For a moment, Juli waited to see if Santamu would do anything. Instead, Santamu pointed in the direction of the house, as if beckoning Juli to continue. Seeing that Santamu was not a threat, Juli continued. The monkey then leapt from its perch and onto Juli's shoulder. Juli didn't mind, since the tamarine monkey used to jump on her shoulder plenty of times back when she was in Shadowlaw.  
  
The other ten Shadowlaw dolls were waiting for her on the front porch. Seated on the front steps was Fevrier, the French doll who was rubbing one of her guns with a soft cloth. Satsuki, the Japanese doll was seated next to her, her katana resting nearby. On the vendand bench was Marz, the German doll, who at the moment, typing on her laptop. Aprile, the Italian doll and resident field medic, and Enero, the Spanish doll, were looking over Marz's shoulder at what she was typing. The Chinese dolls, Xiayu and Yanyu were playing with Juli's pet German Sheperd. Noembelu, the Mexican doll was toying with one of her hatchets, and Decapre was adjusting her mask.  
  
The last doll was standing, awaiting Juli's arrival. It was Juni, now the commander of the Shadowlaw dolls. When Juli approached the front porch, Juni met her. She stopped in front of Juli and snapped to attention, before saluting her. Juli, in a show of respect for her former comrade, returned the gesture.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Commander," Juni said.  
  
Juli shook her head and plucked the tamarine from her shoulder. "I'm not the Commander anymore."  
  
"To me, you will always the Commander," Juni replied. "The General wishes to have a word with you."  
  
Juli blinked. "Bison is here? What does he want with me?"  
  
"He's waiting for you inside."  
  
Juli looked at her front door, a feeling of dread washing over her before walking to the front door, the dolls parting to make a path.  
  
The door was ajar, but Juli was cautious. She stepped inside the house. The living room was dark, seeing that there were no lights on. As she closed the door, someone moved in from behind her. Juli immediately recognized the three-pronged claw her assailant was holding in her face.  
  
"Remember me, little girl?" the muffled Spanish-accented voice whispered.  
  
Juli snapped her head backwards, catching Vega in his masked face with a headbutt. Grabbing his clawed hand, Juli knocked it off and pinned the Savate expert against the wall.  
  
She grabbed a handful of his hair with her other hand. "You got a lot of nerve, you Spanish asshole! Where is Bison?"  
  
"Closer than you think."  
  
The lamp on the living room came on, revealing the dread lord of Shadowlaw himself, General M. Bison. He was seated in the armchair, and dressed in a gray version of his usual outfit and his matching shoulder harnesses, wristguards and legguards, and cape. His trademark hat with the winged skull insignia was resting on the coffee table.  
  
Bison looked at his former assassin. "It's good to see you are still on your guard after all these years."  
  
Juli released her hold on Vega, who moved to his master's side. "How did you find me?"  
  
Bison leaned back in his seat. "You hid your tracks well. You could say I had to turn over a stone or two to find you." He looked around the place. "You made quite a life for yourself, Juli."  
  
Juli folded her arms across her chest. "I went legit. Get to the point, General," she said, pronouncing 'General' with sarcasm in her voice. "You didn't track me down to catch up on old times. You threw me out because--"  
  
Bison cut her off. "--you failed in capturing Cammy and in defeating Ryu--"  
  
"--who in turn defeated you..." Juli finished, a smug grin on her face. "On several occasions, if I remember."  
  
Bison growled. "If I didn't need your help, I would have killed you for that."  
  
Juli was surprised. "MY help? That's a change."  
  
"Yes, I need your help," Bison continued. "Because of Interpol and the Special Forces' successful efforts in hindering Shadowlaw's movements, morale is low. I have received word that there will be a beauty pageant in Honolulu and I want you to compete for the glory of Shadowlaw."  
  
"You mean YOUR glory," Juli corrected.  
  
Bison shrugged his shoulders. "Whichever works. Through careful maneuvering, I have insinuated myself as one of the judges in this pageant and if you win, then it should do good for the morale of the men. And if you wish, I will reinstate you as a Shadowlaw assassin."  
  
Juli remained silent for a moment as she thought it over. "Fine. I'll do it, but under one condition."  
  
"Name it."  
  
"Win or lose, you or anyone else from Shadowlaw--with the exception of Juni and the other dolls--will never contact me again."  
  
"Agreed," Bison replied. "Oh, and don't worry about your job. Marz has it taken care of. In the meantime, I suggest you start packing." 


	2. The Replacement Judge

Chapter One: The Replacement Judge  
  
Note: There is a reference to Resident Evil Nemesis in here somewhere. For all my RE nuts out there, see if you can find it. Bah.  
  
-Ryu and Chun Li's Home, a resort town near Osaka, Japan...-  
  
A Japanese-style home in the wooded area near the city of Osaka. The place was an abandoned joint Buddhist-Shintoist temple, until while on his travels Ryu Hoshi came across it. Using the money he had from winning past tournaments (and some of Ken's money), he bought the place and he and Chun Li rennovated the place and turned it into a studio-style residence, complete with a dojo.   
  
Of course, it took Ryu several to convince his city-bred girlfriend that a change in scenery was in order, since she had recently accepted a transfer to Interpol's Japan office and Ryu had decided to leave Tokyo and decided to set up shop in Osaka.   
  
That was six months ago. Ryu had stopped travelling since then and continued his training, while at the same time, competing in various martial arts tournaments (and winning), while Chun Li was promoted to Chief Inspector.  
  
Right now, Chun Li was in Hawaii and Ryu was in the living room, stretched out on the sofa, having returned from a tournament in Nagoya, in which the master of a rival karate school and about fifteen of his students attempted to gang up on him, but were all defeated with little difficulty. Rather than his usual white sleeveless karate gi, he was dressed down in a simple black T-shirt and a pair of denim jeans. A pair of sandals rested nearby, along with a pair of worn tennis shoes.  
  
The ringing of the telephone on the coffee table arounsed him from his light nap. Yawning, he opened his eyes a crack and grabbed the telephone. "Hello?"  
  
"Ryu." It was his childhood friend and longtime martial arts rival, Ken Masters. "I'm glad I caught you while you were at home."  
  
Ryu yawned. "I just returned from Nagoya," he mumbled.   
  
"Were you sleeping?"  
  
Again Ryu yawned. "Do you have to ask? What is it?"  
  
"Well, you know about the pageant that's going to be held in five days, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So, we're in a bind. One of the judges have bailed out on us and we only have nine judges left. We're supposed to have ten, but if we don't find another judge in two days, then the pageant will be called off."  
  
"To make a long story short," Ryu surmised, "you want me to come to Hawaii as a judge for this pageant."  
  
"Pretty much," Ken replied. "And before you say no, look at it this way. This is a paid vacation. The Masters Foundation is paying for most of the judges' tickets, with the exception of the other five. And besides, you really need a break from your 'the fight is all' routine."  
  
"A paid vacation..." Ryu mused. "It seems tempting, but you of all people know that things don't go as planned. Give me one good reason why I should go along with this crazy idea of yours."  
  
"What would you do if I put the words 'Chun Li' and 'bikini' in the same sentence?" Ken replied.  
  
"I would say...what time is my flight?"  
  
"I knew you wouldn't resist," Ken said. "Good fighter you are, but you are only human."  
  
"Just shut the hell up and tell me the flight number, idiot," Ryu snapped.  
  
"Japan Airlines, flight 0928, Osaka International. Your flight is in two hours. Thanks for doing this, man."  
  
"Oh, don't thank me yet," Ryu replied before hanging up the phone and laying back down. Now he was fully awake and was looking at the ceiling. Ken DID have a point. With competing in martial arts tournaments all over Japan, China and Korea, he really do need to take a break.  
  
That and the idea of Chun Li in a swimsuit was hard to pass up.   
  
***  
  
-Honolulu International Airport, the next day...-  
  
Ryu's flight arrived in Hawaii as scheduled. Of course, Ken had failed to mention that his seat was in the first class section of the flight, not to mention that a majority of the airline's passengers were Japanese businessmen who looked down on the Shotokan fighter with a bit of disdain when they asked him what was his occupation was. When he said that he was a martial artist and was in the process of opening up a martial arts school, they openly insulted him.  
  
Then they immediately apologized when they saw Ryu shatter a glass bottle with his bare hand.  
  
They left Ryu alone after that.   
  
Dressed in a sleeveless black V-necked shirt with the words KILL YOU! on the back, a pair of denim pants and tennis shoes (he even went without his headband for once), Ryu walked throughthe terminal, his white duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  
  
At least Ken wasn't hard to find.  
  
Ryu's longtime friend was looking for him in the airport's baggage claim. Ever the snappy dresser, Ken Masters was clad in a khaki shirt, the top unbuttoned, a pair of dark clacks, and a pair of expensive shoes. He still wore his shoulder-length in his usual style, though.  
  
Ken finally looks in Ryu's direction and sees the Japanese fighter rapidly approaching. "Ryu!"  
  
"Ken!" Ryu raised his fist and Ken slammed his fist into Ryu's in their ususal greeting before shaking hands. "It's good to see you again, man."  
  
"Same here," Ken replied. The last time that he and Ryu seen each other was at Ken's wedding. That was three months ago. Since then, Ken and Eliza had moved from Seattle and back to the Masters Estate in San Francisco, mainly because Ken was promoted to vice-president of operations at the Masters Foundation.  
  
The two men were been like brothers. Having been trained in Shotokan Karate at Gouken's dojo at an early age, they developed a close friendship...and a heated rivalry. On one end, Ryu, the reigning World Warrior champion with patience and calm (and the Dark Hadou), while Ken, an American Karate champion, was arrogant and at times, full of himself when it came to fighitng.  
  
Ken pointed to the duffel bag that Ryu is holding. "I know you don't have any other luggage besides that duffel bag, so all we have to do now is to wait for the other judge to show up and we can leave."  
  
"You mean, there's another judge for the pageant?" Ryu asked.  
  
Ken nodded. "Yeah. And it happens to be my brother-in-law."  
  
Ryu blinked. "Guile is in this?"  
  
"He should be arriving at any moment."  
  
Ryu sighed. William Guile was a close ally and a good fighter during the tournament, but when it came to Ken, Guile and Ken rarely got along. Occasionally, whenever they come into contact, they would butt heads about Ken's lifestyle and his playboyish ways. Ken had promised to stop chasing women when he married Eliza and he had kept his end of the bargain, much to Guile's surprise.  
  
Guile was Ken's brother-in-law mainly because Eliza and Jane were sisters, Eliza being the youngest of the two. Of course, Jane and Guile's daughter liked Ken, and had begged Guile to try and get along with Ken, something that Guile grudgingly accepted.  
  
Of course, Ryu would always play the peacekeeper between the two men whenver they were around.  
  
Ryu saw something in the distance. "He's coming."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
Ryu smiled meanly. "I can recognize that hair a mile away."  
  
Sure enough, it was Guile. The 'King of the Air Force,' was wearing his usual outfit--olive green tanktop underneath a camoflauge jacket, camoflauge pants, and combat boots. in his hands, he was luggint two green duffel bags.  
  
Ryu nudged Ken. "How'd you managed to get Guile as one of the judges?"  
  
"It was my dad's idea," Ken replied. "Guile was coming here as a guest instructor at one of the military bases here, and Dad called him in."  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "Father knows best."  
  
Colonel William Guile approached the two men. He set his bags down and greeted Ryu first wth a slight nod of the head. "Ryu. It's been a while. I see you're doing well," Guile said as he shook Ryu's hand.  
  
"And you, Guile," Ryu replied. At least Guile didn't have anything against him.  
  
Guile turned to Ken and extended his hand. "Masters."  
  
Ken grasped his hand and shook it. "Guile."  
  
For a moment, neither man refused to let go of the other's hand. Soon, it became a test of stength as Guile and Ken tried to stare each other down, and ignoting the pain in their hands.  
  
Ryu decided to intervene. "Okay, you guys. That's enough," he commanded.  
  
Both in-laws then released their grip, but still kept glaring at each other. Ryu shook his head. "If you two are finished, can we go now?"  
  
As rhe three fighters left the airport, they didn't realised that they were being watched. About fifty rards away, The Shadowlaw dolls, now dressed as tourists and Decapre without her mask, were gathering their luggage. Juli was watching the entire exchange between Ryu, Ken, and Guile.  
  
'That's Ryu?' Juli wondered.  
  
Juni tapped her former commander on the shoulder. "Juli, we're ready."  
  
Juli grabbed her bags and led the other dolls out of the airport. 


	3. Getting Reaccquainted

Chapter Two: Getting Reaccquainted  
  
Note: [...] denotes singing. Again, bah.  
  
2nd Note: Guess which movie I got this song from. Can't figure it out, then e-mail me. ^_-  
  
A black Chrysler Seabring sped down the busy streets of Honolulu. Ken Masters was behind the wheel, while Ryu was riding shotgun and Guile was in the backseat.  
  
"So how is you family, William?" Ryu asked.  
  
Guile shrugged his shoulders. "Jane and Amy are okay. I heard you stopped wandering and found a place near Osaka...with a certain female Interpol agent."  
  
"You heard correct. Tokyo was too crowded for my taste, so I found this place and Chun and I fixed it up. She was a bit apprehensive about moving out of the city, but I brought her around."  
  
Guile chuckled as he shook his head. "Amazing. The man who had defeated Bison and everyone else has finally decided to settle down."  
  
"Speaking of which," Ken butted in, "Bison is somewhere in the city."  
  
"WHAT?!" Guile screeched.  
  
Ken was unfazed by the outburst. "I know. It caught me off-guard as well, but it seems our old buddy Bison doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit.' He's acting as one of the judges in the pageant, as well as several more of his goons."  
  
Guile sank back into the seat. "Just freakin' great," he muttered. "There goes my vacation."  
  
"Bison won't try anything," Ken reassured his moody brother-in-law. "Aside from the number of military personnel from all over, we also have Interpol, MI-6, and several other security forces in place in case Bison tries something funny."  
  
"And knowing Bison, he probably will," Ryu mused, looking out through the window.  
  
Deciding to change the subject, Ken asked Ryu, "So, Ryu, what's Chun Li going to do in the pageant?"  
  
Ryu looked at Ken. "You mean she didn't tell you?" When Ken shook his head, Ryu replied, "She's singing."  
  
Both Ken and Guile looked at Ryu, who shrugged their stares off. "Yeah. She's singing. She's got an amazing voice. Soft, but amazing. I first heard her sing about several months ago when we were still rennovating the house back in Osaka..."  
  
{Flashback}  
  
Late morning in Osaka. Ryu, dressed in his usual karate gi (minus the headband), walked down the hall, mumbling to himself, headed for the bedroom to retrieve his fighting gloves.   
  
Upon entering the room, he noticed the bathroom door was ajar, releasing steam.  
  
That and music was coming from the radio that Chun Li uses whenever she was in the bathroom.  
  
[Look into my eyes...]  
  
Ryu blinked. 'Is Chun Li...singing?' he wondered. The door was open enough for him to peer inside.  
  
Inside the bathroom, Chun Li, clad only in a bathrobe, was brushing out her damp hair. She continued singing, not knowing the fact that Ryu was listening to her sing.  
  
[You will see...what you mean to me]  
  
[Search your heart, search your soul]   
  
[When you find me there, you'll search no more]  
  
Her voice was soft, but clear. Slightly throaty, but enchanting.  
  
[Don't tell me it's not worth trying for]  
  
She places the hairbrush down and began to braid her hair.  
  
[You can't tell me it's not worth dying for]  
  
[You know it's true...everything I do...I do it for you...]  
  
Ryu opened the door and stood in the doorway, as Chun Li continued to sing.  
  
[Look in to your heart, you will find]   
  
[There is nothing there to hide]  
  
  
  
[Take me as I am, take my life]  
  
  
  
[I would give it all, I would sacrifice]  
  
Chun Li finishes braiding her hair and wrapping it into her trademark buns. Humming the rest of the song to herself, she reaches over to turn the tape player off, only to see Ryu standing there.  
  
"Nice singing," he complimented.  
  
Chun Li turned red. "How long were you standing there?" she asked.  
  
"Long enough." Ryu enters the bathroom. "Since when did you sing?"  
  
Chun Li shrugged her shoulders. "I got it from my mom. She used to be a lounge singer in a bar back in Shanghai. That's where my father met her. Plus, one of my past undercover assignmants was a lounge singer back in Hong Kong."  
  
"I'll bet," Ryu replied. "You remind me of my mother."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Ryu nodded. "When I was a child, she would sing me to sleep. Her voice was soothing." Ryu shook his head. "Anyway, what do you want for breakfast?"  
  
{End Flashback)  
  
"Damn," Ken said. "Looks like Eliza has some competition. She's singing as well."  
  
"So do you know who's judging this pageant?" Guile asked.  
  
Ken thought about it for a moment. "Um...it's you, Ryu, and myself. Fei Long has signed on as a judge, so did one of Guy's friends."  
  
"Who?" Guile asked.  
  
"Um...his name is...what was it...oh, yeah. Haggar. Mike Haggar."  
  
Ryu hummed for a moment. "Haggar. I remember Guy telling me about his exploits back in Metro City where he, a street fighter/ex-convict named Cody, and an ex-wrestler named Haggar took out the Mad Gear gang."  
  
"Four of the judges are on our side," Ken explained, "while the other four are from Shadowlaw. The other two are wild cards, they can vote either way."  
  
"Who are the wild cards?" Ryu asked.  
  
"Rolento Schugerg and your old nemesis, Victor Sagat."  
  
Ryu blinked. "Funny, I thought Sagat was working for Shadowlaw."  
  
Guile shook his head. "Nope. From our mole within Shadowlaw, Sagat has left the organization and has returned to Thailand to train for his rematch against you. As for Rolento, he's--"  
  
"--the insane commando who wants to build his dream military nation," Ryu finished. "I've met him. As I've said before, he's a complete nutcase, but a good fighter. He makes Bison looks sane."  
  
Ken then remembered something. "Oh, Ryu. I forgot to mention that all of the hotels are booked so you're gonna be staying at the beachside villa with me, Eliza and Chun Li."  
  
Guile frowned. "For crying out loud, Masters, how many houses you got?"  
  
"Well, there's my old condo back in Seattle, the Masters Estate in San Francisco, the summer house in Japan, and this one which makes four."  
  
Ryu shook his head. "You got way too much money, Ken."  
  
Guile nodded. "I agree with you on that Ryu."  
  
***  
  
After dropping Guile off at the military base, Ken and Ryu went back to the beachside villa where they would be staying before the pageant. Like any other house that the Master family, it was impressive without being too showy.   
  
Ken parked the car and Ryu jumped out, duffel bag in his hand. Ken followed suit. He opened the door and led Ryu inside.  
  
The villa was a single story, spacious, but to Ken and Eliza, pretty cozy. Ryu took in the decor. "Nice place. Let me guess, this belonged to your parents, right?"  
  
"Bingo," Ken replied. "They let me and Eliza have this as a wedding present."  
  
"Ken," a female voice called out. "Is that you?"  
  
A pretty blonde wearing a bikini and a pair of sunglasses on her forehead stepped into the living room. Ken grinned and swept his wife up in a hug and a kiss.  
  
"Hey, beautiful," Ken greeted before letting Eliza go.  
  
Ryu dropped his duffel bag and allowed Eliza to greet him with a hug. "Ryu. It's good to see you again."  
  
"Same here," Ryu replied. "You've been keeping Ken out of trouble?"  
  
Eliza glanced at Ken before turning back to Ryu. "He's been behaving...most of the time. I may have to get him neutered," she replied jokingly.  
  
"Hey!" Ken objected.   
  
"What's going on?" a second female voice asked.  
  
A second woman--this time an alluring Chinese woman--entered the room. Unlike Eliza, she was wearing a dark blue spagetti-strap halter top, black denim pants, and tennis shoes. Her dark brown hair was tied into a ponytail, with several bangs hanging.  
  
She took only one look at Ryu. Not saying anything, she smiled and ran full tilt towards him. Ryu caught her, laughing and spun her around, just as she lowered her head down for a kiss which lasted for quite a bit.  
  
When they finally broken off, Ryu grinned. "If I wanted a greeting like that, I should have came tomorrow."  
  
Chun Li didn't let him go. "What are you doing here, Ryu? You're not supposed to be here for a couple more days."  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I wanted to surprise you."  
  
Chun Li kissed him again. "I knew you would come to cheer me on."  
  
"Urr...about that," Ryu said. "Somehow, Ken got me as a replacement judge for the pageant."  
  
"How'd he do that?"  
  
Ryu glanced at Ken. "He talked me into it."  
  
***  
  
-Royal Pacific Hotel, on the other side of Honolulu...-  
  
The Royal Pacific Hotel, one of Honolulu's most elegant hotels. Unknown to most patrons, it was also a Shadowlaw safehouse, used to house Shadowlaw's elite. Bison, Juli, and his henchmen, or women were staying there during the pageant. Bison's room was the penthouse on the top floor, while Juli, being the guest of honor, was given the presidential suite.  
  
Under orders from Bison, the Shadowlaw dolls were given some time off to enjoy themselves. Righ now, Marz, the resident computer hacker, was walking down the hall, towards Juli's room. Instead of her ususal Shadowlaw uniform, she was clad in a blue summer dress. In one hand, she was holding a folder. Earlier in the day, Juli had asked Marz for information on the other contestants and judges, something that Marz was good at.  
  
She stopped in front of Juli's door and knocked.  
  
"Who is it?" Juli's voice came from inside.  
  
"It's Marz."  
  
"Come in. It's open,"  
  
Marz enters the room and closes the door behind her. Inside the suite, Juli was finishing getting dressed. She was dressed in a simple white tanktop and a pair of hip-hugging pants. Bunching her hair together, she tied it into her ususal bun.  
  
Marz hands over the files. "Here's the information you asked for."  
  
Juli took the files and nodded in appreciation. "Well done. You may go."   
  
Marz took her leave. Juli sat on the edge of the bed and began to leaf through the files, which were complete with their pictures and dossiers. "Let's se what we have here on the judges...William Franklin Guile, fighter pilot, commando, youngest man ever to be promoted to the rank of Colonel..."   
  
She flipped the page. "Rolento Schugerg...former member of the Mad Gear gang, broken off in order to build a military nation..." She flipped the page again. "Ken Masters, Pan-American karate champion, Vice-President of the Masters Foundation, brother-in-law to William Guile, interesting."   
  
She went to the last page. "Well, well, well. Ryu Hoshi...so that was you at the airport...they got you as a judge. Expert in Shotokan style karate, fluent in English and Chinese, avoided numerous attempts at capture by Shadowlaw forces..."  
  
Juli closed the folder and placed it aside. Rising to her feet, she grabbed a denim jacket and exited the room. 


	4. Girls' Night Out

Chapter Three - Girls' Night Out   
  
Later on that day, Chun Li and Eliza had ditched their respective men and hooked up with one of the other contestants in the pageant, a person which both Chun Li and Eliza knew.  
  
That person was Cammila White. Cammy, as she was called, was a member of England's elite MI-6 unit. She was a former Shadowlaw assassin who had lost her memory, but was restored to her and not wanting to return to Shadowlaw, she was recruited into MI-6.  
  
The three girls were at the local mall, checking out various stores, enjoyng themselves at Ken's expense, and shrugging off the stares of various men who passed by. After they had raided the mall, Fei Long had given them tickets for his new action-comedy movie, 'Enter the Fists of Mayhem 3.'  
  
Right now, they were at an outside cafe, enyoying a late-afternoon lunch. Several shopping bags were around their feet, as they chatted about their lives, and their men.  
  
Cammy sipped on her glass of tea. "You know, I gotta admit, you must have done something good to catch a dense guy like Ryu, Chun."  
  
Chun Li shook her head. "It wasn't that hard. Ryu and I met through his sensei and my sifu when we were teenagers."  
  
Eliza frowned. "Sifu?"  
  
"It's Chinese for teacher," Chun Li explained.  
  
"Oh." Eliza leaned forward. "So what's the story between you and Ryu?" she asked with a mischevious glint in her eye. "Is everything...you know?"  
  
Chun Li went red. "ELIZA! That's personal!"  
  
"Ooh, gossip!" Cammy clasped her hands together. "I wanna hear! Is Ryu good in bed?" she asked, nudging Chun Li in the side.  
  
"Does he always wear that headband of his to the bedroom?" Eliza mused. "Come on, you can tell us. It's just us girls."  
  
Chun Li looked at both of them and sighed. "All right, it I tell you, then no one must find out. Not Ken and expecially not Ryu."  
  
"Agreed," both Eliza and Cammy replied.  
  
Chun Li bit her lip. "Ryu and I had slept together before. He's...he's pretty amazing in bed," Chun Li admitted. "He can make my body come alive. The first time I slept with him, was after the tournament, when he was staying with me in Hong Kong. Anyway, I had a sprained ankle and Ryu was staying with me in Hong Kong..."  
  
{Flashback}  
  
Evening. A spacious high-rise apartment in Hong Kong. In the living room, Chun Li, dressed down in a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts was lounging on the living room sofa, reading a book. Her left ankle was wrapped in bandages. Seated in the armchair, was Ryu, this time, dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants (his karate gi and red headband were in the wash). He was sitting crosslegged in the armchair, meditating.  
  
Three weeks had passed since Ryu fought against Bison in the tournament, and won. He was in Hong Kong as a result of an invitation from Chun Li to rest and recover from the tournament. And in Ryu's case, free room and board was something he rarely passed up.  
  
Chun Li placed her book aside and looked at Ryu, who had just completed his meditation. "Ryu, have you figured out what you plan on doing when you goback to Japan?"  
  
Ryu stood up and stretched. "Well, I guess that since my old dojo was destroyed, I'll have to find another one to set up shop in."  
  
"Have you found some places?"  
  
"A couple. Other than Tokyo, I'm looking around in Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hakadote." Off Chun Li's look, Ryu answered, "How did I get the money, you're thinking? Well, when Gouken died, he left an sizable inheritance for me and I've been saving most of the money I won from fighting in past tournaments. I let Ken handle all of my finances."  
  
"So how much money you got?" Chun Li asked.  
  
Ryu thought about it for a moment. "Let's see...close to $450,000 American, and ¥700,000."  
  
Chun Li blinked. "You have THAT much money?!"  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "You really have no need for that much money when you're on the open road most of the time. So I wire Ken most of it and tell him to place it into two accounts, one in the States, and another in Japan."  
  
Chun Li frowned. "Your line of work is fighting and you make more than I do."  
  
"You think that your job is dangerous?" Ryu replied. "I fight in underground martial arts tournaments all over Southeast Asia. With all the bad people down there, you'd take a desk job at Interpol in a heartbeat." He looked at her ankle. "So how's the ankle?"  
  
Chun Li adjusted herself on the sofa. "It's okay. You know...most guys would not be as considerate and caring like you," she said softly.   
  
Ryu moved from his place on the armchair and sat beside Chun Li on the sofa. "You can say that I'm a sucker for being a person who holds honor and respect in high regard."  
  
"I wouldn't say that," Chun Li replied. "In fact, that was the reason that attracted me to you." She was silent for a moment, trying to think how Ryu would handle her next statement. "Ryu...ever since we met again at the tournament, I really haven't stopped thinking about you, and...I wanted you to be close to me. That's why I invited you here. You're not like most guys. You're kind, funny, and considerate of my feelings. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I want to be more than friends."  
  
Ryu looked at her for a long time. He then gave her his reply. "I always known you loved me," he replied softly.  
  
Chun Li blinked. "You did?"  
  
Ryu smiled. "I may be a martial artist, but I'm not that dense of a guy to figure out the clues that you liked me." He placed one hand on he side of her face. "But it was Master Gen who told me this morning when I went to pay my respects, which confirmed my suspicions. Chun...I really do love you."  
  
That did it for Chun Li. She threw her arms around him in a bear hug, not wanting to let him go. Ryu hugged her back. Not waning to release Chun Li, Ryu stood up, stull holding Chun Li until they were both standing, Chun Li placing most of her weight on her good leg.   
  
She was now noticing how tall Ryu was. She was no petite woman herself, but tall enough. (Note: According to the original SF2, Ryu is 5'10" while Chun Li is 5'8". I know it is unlikely for Ryu to be this tall, but Chow Yun-Fat is 5'11", but I digress. You can say that Ryu sprouted after the Alpha tournaments.)   
  
Chun Li wrapped her arms around his neck, Ryu placed his arms around her waist. She stood on her tiptoes while Ryu met her halfway.  
  
Their lips met in a gentle kiss, but to the two martial arts, it was like two combustible elements creating fire. Chun Li's grip on Ryu's neck slackened and her legs went completely weak. Had not Ryu been holding her, she would have sank to her knees. Instead, she leaned on Ryu for support as they kissed.   
  
Finally, they broke off the kiss. Chun Li stared at the Japanese fighter in wonder, the same guy who had defeated Victor Sagat as a teenager, and had wasted Bison several weeks ago. Now he had her heart, and she didn't mind one bit."  
  
"You win," Ryu whispered.  
  
"What?" Chun Li asked.  
  
"You gotten me."  
  
Chun Li smiled and they kissed again, this time, with increasing passion. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and they dueled for supremacy, with Ryu winning. Chun Li squealed as Ryu swept her off her feet, Ryu not wanting her to injure her ankle even more, and carried her into her bedroom)  
  
-Several hours later...-   
  
Six-thirty in the morning. Inside Chun Li's bedroom, the two lovers were in the bed, limbs entwined, a bedsheet covering them for modesty. Ryu was on his back, while Chun Li was resting her head on his chest, her hair in wild disarray. A trail of clothes led to the bed.  
  
Chun Li stirred, then opened her eyes. The memories of last night's lovemaking session came back to her in a rush. She looked at Ryu, who was still asleep, his face peaceful. For the first time, Chun Li was at peace with herself. Her father's death had been avenged, and she was with the man that she loved.  
  
Ryu groaned and opened his eyes. He saw that Chun Li was looking at him, a grin on her face. "Hey," she greeted.  
  
"Hey," he replied.  
  
She kissed him on the lips, then giggled. "Who would have thought the infamous Shotokan champion was also a great lover in bed?"  
  
"You feel like getting up?" Ryu asked.  
  
"No, not really. You wore me out last night. You?"  
  
Ryu looked at the clock on the nightstand. "I guess my training can wait." He wrapped his arms around Chun Li. They cuddled for most of the morning, kissing occasionally and carressing each other. Finally, at around nine, they got up.  
  
{End Flashnack}  
  
"...and the rest is history," Chun Li finished.  
  
Eliza sighed. "Wow. It seems that Ryu is full of surprises. I think I married the wrong guy."  
  
Chun Li knew she was kidding when she said that. "You leave Ryu to me, and you deal with your husband. At least I know he is loyal to me. All of the women want him, but I know he wants me."  
  
Eliza stood up. "I'll go and get the car."  
  
Eliza had parked a short distance from the cafe. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into a well-dressed man. "Sorry," Eliza apologized.  
  
"No. It is my fault," the man replied with a heavy Spanish accent.   
  
Eliza looked at the man, he was handsome, slender, and the Armani suit he wore looked like it was made for him. His long brown hair was tied into a single braid.  
  
Guess who Eliza has bumped into?  
  
"What is your name?" Vega asked.   
  
"Eliza. Eliza Masters."  
  
"Masters...you wouldn't happen to be Ken Masters' wife by any chance?"  
  
"Yes, I am. You know my husband?"  
  
The Spanish fighter grinned. "You can say that." he took a step closer. "You are very pretty, Kitten. You remind me of the women in my native Spain. You are competing in the pageant, correct?"  
  
"How do you know that?"   
  
"My boss is a judge there," Vega replied. "I will be seeing you real soon, dear Kitten." He then turned and vanished into the crowd, just as Chun Li and Cammy rounded the corner.  
  
"I thought you were getting the car," Cammy said.  
  
"I was," Eliza replied, "but someone ran into me. Some guy, pretty smooth, but there was something disturbing about him." She dismissed the thought. "Anyway, let's go." 


	5. Showdown

Chapter Four - Showdown  
  
Note: There's a reference to Final Fantasy VII in here. I know, I'm being bad. ;)  
  
{...} denotes someone speaking Japanese  
  
While Cammy, Eliza and Chun Li were busy raiding the malls, Ryu and Ken had plans of their own.  
  
After taking a shower and getting a fresh set of clothes, Ryu and Ken went to a beachside bar and grill called the White Lilly, a restaurant which specializes in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Brazilian cusine. The clientele consists of businessmen, tourists, and local folks who enjoyed the food.  
  
Wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt and black pants, Ryu caught the eye of most of the women in the place. As he passed one table, he heard some of the women whispering in a combination of Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese (yes, some Japanese folks reside in Brazil), and giggling.  
  
The two Shotokan fighters made their way to a table, here two other men were waiting for them. The first, was Guile, dressed in a khaki version of his blue Air Force uniform (think what Van Damme was wearing in the live movie...and NOT the combat fatigues) The second was the Hong Kong action star Fei Long. Like Guile, he was dressed down in a white sweater and dark slacks. A pair of eyeglasses were on his face.  
  
Ryu and Ken took a seat. Ryu looked at Fei. "Real inconspicuous outfit, Fei," he said.  
  
Fei removed his glasses. "It's called 'being incognito,' Ryu. Of course, you don't have half of the world chashing you and dogging your every move."  
  
"No. I've been chased by Shadowlaw and everyone else who wants to challenge me to a fight," Ryu replied flatly.  
  
There was a heated rivalry between the Japanese Shotokan fighter and the Chinese superstar. Mainly it was over for the affections of the voluptuous Chun Li Xiang. When Ryu had won Chun Li's heart, Fei wisely decided to let it go and remain friends with Chun Li...lest he should be at the receiving end of Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadouken.  
  
While the men were chatting, a waitress approached the table. "Can I take your order?" she asked.  
  
Fei Looked at the menu. "I'll have the Mongolian beef and house fried rice special, please."  
  
The waitress looked at Fei closely. "Hey, aren't you..."  
  
Fei raised a finger to his lips, silencing the waitress. "Keep it down, okay. I'm on vacation."  
  
The waitress beamed. 'Aaahh! I've just talked to Fei Long!' She turned to Ryu. "And what would you like?"  
  
"I'll have the bulgogi special," Ryu replied.  
  
The waitress winked at Ryu before turning to Ken, who ordered the Japanese rice and sushi special, and Guile ordered the kebob. For the drinks, Fei ordered Chinese wine, Ryu had sake, Guile and Ken both had beer. Giving Ryu a seductive look, the waitress rushed off to get their orders.  
  
Fei leaned back into his chair. "Who would have thought you would be a ladies' man," he addressed Ryu.  
  
Guile folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah. I noticed that at the airport. Every other woman was staring at you, Hoshi. Care to explain?"  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "It was like that ever since I was travelling. Women from all walks of life use to follow me. Besides, I am a gentleman, to a certain degree."  
  
"So what's your secret?" Ken asked.  
  
Again, Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "What's there to tell? I'm a muscular Japanese guy standing nearly six feet tall who is also a babe magnet for half the women in Southeast Asia and California. There's really not much to that. Besides, all of you know that I only care for Chun Li."  
  
While the four judges were chatting about Ryu's dating habits (mainly whether ot not he wears his headband on dates), a group of people entered the restaurant. They were several members of Shadowlaw, but they were on leave and were undercover. They were Juli, Cracker Jack, Juni, and Satsuki, the last three who were acting at Juli's escorts, at Bison's request.  
  
Juli was dressed in a red tanktop and black jeans. Her hair was done in her usual style. A fedora covered her eyes, thus completing her outfit. Juni was dressed in a simple summer dress, while C. Jack was un his usual attire. Satauki was wearing a black-and-red hakama and a pair of sandals.  
  
The Shadowlaw gang claimed a table and sat down. From their point of view, they caught notice of Ryu and the other three men.  
  
C. Jack nudged Juli. "Look. There's Guile. Ken and the Bruce Lee wannabe is there with them, which makes the last person over there is Ryu."  
  
Satsuki looked over at their table and sized Ryu up. "He's kinda cute."  
  
Juni nodded in agreement. "We could use a guy like him in Shadowlaw," she said in a dreamy voice.  
  
Juli shook her head. "Honestly. Ryu is handsome, that I'll admit, but he would never go for joining Shadowlaw. It's not in his nature."  
  
A waitress came by and took their orders. C. Jack and Juni ordered the Brazilian Beef Special, while Juli claimed the wonton soup. Satsuki had the seaweed sushi special.   
  
Meanwhile, back at Ryu's table...  
  
"You can't be serious!" Fei exclaimed. "You, a guy who enjoys travelling all over the world, plans on settling down? I really can't see you dong that."  
  
Ryu nodded. "I just did. Chun and I found a place outside of Osaka, and we spent the last three months fixing the place up. Chun Li had gotten a transfer from Hong Kong to Japan. It's cozy and efficient."  
  
Guile nodded. "Looks like you have everything planned out, Ryu. Well done."  
  
"Let's hope so." Ryu raised his glass in a toast. "Gentlemen, may I propse a toast." The other three men raised their beverages. "To the pageant...and all of the mayhem that will possibly follow."  
  
"To the pageant," the men said. They clinked their glasses and took a healthy swig of their drinks. The waitress had in the meantime, returned with their food. Ryu, ever the gentleman, helped her.  
  
While the men were chatting and enjoying their dinner, another group of people came in the restaurant. This time, it was the members of England's Delta Red commando unit, Cammy's team, who was in Hawaii to cheer their teammate on. First up was their hotheaded team leader, Commander W. Watson, followed by his second-in-command, Colonel Wolfman, who was to Cammy, a father figure. Next was the half-human, half-cyborg Matthew McCoy. Next came First Lieutenant Lita Luwanda, the blonde who has a penchant for totting one her knives around whever she goes. Last was the diminuitive George Ginzu. The team rodered their food and had tea all around.  
  
NOte: These are Cammy's actual members of Delta Red. How I know this, that's my secret.  
  
The British special forces team found an empty table, which was about two tables away from where the Shadowlaw group were sitting. Thankfully, the Shadowlaw group were still busy scoping the four judges.  
  
Meanwhile at the table where the girls were still checking Ryu out, one of them stands up and ambles over to Ryu table. The woman taps Ryu on one shoulder. "Excuse me," she said in Japanese-accented English.  
  
Ryu looked up. The woman was a mixture of both Asian and Brazilian ancestry, and cute. "Yes?"  
  
The woman almost lost her courage, but got it back. "My name's Kiyomi. What's yours?"  
  
Ryu saw no trouble in giving the woman his name. "Ryu Hoshi."  
  
Kiyomi beamed. "Nice to meet you, Ryu." She paused for a moment. "Um, Ryu...there's a party later on at one of my friend's house, and if you are not busy...I was hoping that you would come by."  
  
Ryu was flattered. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline. I already have plans with my girlfriend while I'm here."  
  
Needless to say, Kiyomi was downcast, but seeing as how Ryu spoke to her with respect and dignity, she lit up again and went back to her table. Ryu turned back to his friends, who were all staring at him. "What?"  
  
Guile shook his head. "You weren't lying about being loyal to Chun Li."  
  
Ryu leaned back into his seat. "Of course. I'm not like Ken."  
  
Guile turned to Ken. "What's he talking about?"  
  
Ryu, thankful for the diversion, continued to speak. "Oh, yeah. One time, Eliza caught him flirting with some Scottish woman some years back and Eliza knocked him to the ground. For a woman who can't fight, she has one hell of a strong right arm."  
  
Off Fei and Guile's glances, Ken admitted, "She used to play baseball and tennis back in high school."  
  
Meanwhile, seven men entered the restaurant. They just happened to be members of the karate school whom Ryu had soundly thrashed form the Nagoya tournment. Turns out that Kiyomi's older brother was a member of said karate school back in Japan, and when they found out that Ryu was in Hawaii, they came to settle up with him.  
  
Ryu heard the commotion and turned around. When he saw the furious karate group, he turned back around. "Hey, Ken, what's our going bet for fastest knockout?"  
  
"If it's a group, then I'd say...seven minutes. Why?"  
  
"There was a karate team that I fought in Nagoya. Apparently, their sensei challenged me to a fight, and when I had beaten him, fifteen of his students mobbed me, but were unsuccessful in their efforts." Ryu grinned. "I can bet that I can take them all on in under...five minutes and thirty seconds. If I win, you pay for my suit for the pageant."  
  
"You're on!"  
  
"I'll take some of that action," Fei said. "What about you, Guile? You're a gambling man?"  
  
Guile shook his head.  
  
Kiyomi's brother, a tough-looking guy by the name of Shinji, made his way over to Ryu table. He shoved Ryu on the shoulder. {Hoshi! Get up!}  
  
Ryu stood up and turned around. From the Shadowlaw table, Juli had a clear view of Ryu's face. 'Hmmm...he looks even better in person that in a photo,' she thought.  
  
Ryu recognized the man. {I remember you. You were in Nagoya.}  
  
Ken was acting as translator, since both Fei and Guile couldn't speak Japanese.  
  
Shinji poked one finger into Ryu's chest. {You're not finished with us! You dishonored our school by defeating our master!}  
  
Ryu casually swatted Shinji's hand aside. {Correction. YOU dishonored your school when your master's students attacked me. You obviously came halfway across the globe to settle up with me, so why talk?}  
  
Shinji the swung his fist at Ryu's head. Ryu brought his forearm to block the blow, and responded with a straight fist to the face. Shinji was sent staggering back. The other six men then attacked.   
  
The first guy was armed with a pair of nunchucks. Ryu disarmed him (and tossed the 'chucks to Fei as a souvenir), and after getting him in a headlock, the second fighter lunged, and had inadvertantly knocked the first guy out when he missed Ryu.  
  
'That's one,' Ryu thought.  
  
Ryu dropped the unconscious form and the second fighter attacked again, this time with a spinning back kick. Ryu opted to go low and knocked him to the ground with a power foot sweep. When Ryu got back up, he smacked the downed guy with his foot, knocking him out.   
  
'Two.'  
  
The third and fourth fighters opted to double-team Ryu. Ryu, having experience in fighting handicap matches, deftly block and parried the blows. Some of the duo's attacks had gotten through Ryu's defenses, but Ryu simply shrugged them off. He stunned one of them with an elbow to the face, then grabbed the his partner and slammed him facefirst into an empty table. He then grabbed the stunned fighter and promptly tossed him out of an nearby open window.  
  
'Three and four.'  
  
Fighter number five was armed with a bokken. While Ryu was dealing with him, Kiyomi tried to attack Ryu from behind with a beer bottle. Juli saw this, and with one of C. Jack's trusty baseball bats, rendered Kiyomi unconscious with a blow to the back of her head. Before anyone noticed anything, Juli was back in her seat.  
  
The bokken-toting fighter and the sixth fighter, who was armed with a pair of tonfas, once again tried to double-team Ryu, but to no avail. Ryu disarmed the tonfa fighter and used his weapon against him. He was out in three blows. Tossing the weapons aside, Ryu turned to te bokked fighter, just as he was performing an overhead slash on Ryu.  
  
Ryu sidestepped the blow and grabbed the wooden blade in one hand. He then broke the sword in two with the other. Horrified that his weapon had been broken, the fighter began to back off.  
  
Ryu stared him down and simply said one word. {Run.}  
  
The fighter didn't need to be told twice.. He was out the door and gone.  
  
'Five and six.'  
  
Meanwhile, Shinji, who was wathing the fight in utter dismay, faced Ryu, who was nearly unscathed during the entire melee. Ryu placed his hands into his pockets, and said, {Do you give up?}  
  
{Never!} Shinji bellowed, charghing at Ryu.  
  
Ryu stood his ground. When Shinji was close enough, Ryu simply flipped him over his shoulder. The human projectile went flyng through the air before crashing into a table.  
  
Unfortunately, the table that Shinji had crashed into was that of Delta Red's, spilling foor and drinks all over the commandos. Commander Watson was especially irate, seeing as how his new suede jacket was ruined.  
  
Ken looked at his watch. It read 5:27. "Damn," he said. "Ryu did it."  
  
From the Shadowlaw table, Juli and the others were impressed. C. Jack let out a low whistle. "Nice."  
  
Ryu looked at his handiwork. Then, as he turned back towards his table, someone grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and Ryu found himself face-to-face with Commander Watson.  
  
"You bloody moron!" Watson bellowed. "Look at my jacket! You ruined it!"  
  
Ryu had no quarrel with this man. He wasn't going to back down either. "It was an accident and I apologize," he replied calmly. "But a jacket is a jacket."  
  
Meanwhile, Colonel Wolfman had noticed Guile, and had recognized him immediately. Seeing Guile's expression made Wolfman act on his behalf. He attempted to insuinate himself between the Japanese fighter and his furious commander. "Umm, Commander--"  
  
In an instant, Watson spun on Wolfman, now far gone in his rage. "Shut up! Sit down in that chair and drink your goddamn tea!" Wolfman backed down, as Watson turned back to Ryu and grabbed a handful of his shirt.   
  
Ryu looked down at Watson's hand, then looked backed up to his face. "I'm not gonna count to three," Ryu stated, his eyes glinting dangerously, "or one, for that matter. If you don't let me go, then you're gonna get on my bad side."  
  
Watson laughed. He really didn't see Ryu as a threat. That is until Ryu slammed his forehead into Watson's in a headbutt. Watson lost his grip on Ryu and was sent reeling back to his table. The other three commandos, Luwanda, McCoy and Ginzu, faced off against Ryu.  
  
"Enough! Stand down!"  
  
This time, the voice came from Colonel Guile. The Air Force commando has seen enough and had decided to intervene. He stepped in between his Japanese comrade and the British commandos. "There is no quarrel here."  
  
McCoy raised one cybernetic hand threateningly, while Luwanda had her knives. "There is a quarrel here, mate. You think you can protect that Japanese fella after what he did to Watson?"  
  
"He needs no protection from me," Guile replied cooly. "As I've said before, there is no quarrel here."  
  
"At ease, lads," Watson said, getting back up, pushing Luwanda and McCoy aside. "You can't protect your buddy, brush-head. He's gonna pay."  
  
"No, he's not."  
  
Having heard enough, Watson swung his fist at Guile's head.  
  
Big mistake.  
  
Guile's hand snapped up and caught Watson's fist in a viselike grip. The pressure on his wrist was so great, that it forced Watson down on one knee. McCoy and Luwanda moved in, but were stopped by Colonel Wolfman.  
  
Through his pain, Watson asked, "Who the fucking hell are you?"  
  
Guile reponds with a foot to the face, knocking Watson to the floor. Guile looked down on the fallen man and deftly intones, "Guile. COLONEL William F. Guile, United States Air Force."  
  
McCoy and Luwanda immediately backed off. Cammy has told them about Guile, seeing as how she, Guile, and Chun Li were working together during the last tournament. Colonel Guile was someone you don't want to piss off.  
  
Watson staggered back. "YOU'RE Colonel Guile?"  
  
"Yes," Guile replied. "And you must be W. Watson, commander of England's Delta Red force...Cammy's team."  
  
Watson gulped. Guile then grabbed a handful of Watson's shirt and hoisted him up to his eye level. Guile then got into Watson's face. "Simply for the fact that Cammy is a close friend of mine, I won't kick your ass. However, you have disrupted our evening. Ryu didn't mean to ruin your jacket, but didn't want to let it go. You now have two choices, Commander Watson: you can apologize to Ryu, and if you don't I have only but one question for you: Are you man enough to fight with me?"  
  
Watson turned his head to Ryu and said, "I'm sorry."  
  
Ryu placed his hand on Guile's shoulder. "Let him go, Guile."  
  
"If you insist," Guile dropped Watson to the ground. Almost immediately, Woflan was there. "Colonel Guile, I do apologize for my commander's behavior. He can be so hotheaded."  
  
Thankfully, Guile have no vendetta against Wolfman. "That I see. Tell Cammy I said hello."  
  
Fei flagged down his table's waitress. "Check please."  
  
***  
  
-Honolulu Imperial Hotel, later on...-  
  
Cammy returned to her hotel later on that night from her night out with Chun Li and Eliza. When she went to report to Commander Watson, she found something unexpected waiting for her: Commander Watson was hetting his injuries bandaged by Lita Luwanda, while Colonel Wolfman, Matt McCoy and George Ginzu watched.  
  
"What happened to you?" Cammy asked as she set her bags aside.  
  
"What do you think?" Watson replied. "Cheap wanker got a cheap shot off or me. When I see him again, I'll settle up with him."  
  
"Who attacked you?" Cammy asked. "Was it Shadowlaw?"  
  
McCoy shook his head. "Some Japanese fella that Watson tried to fight."  
  
At the term 'Japanese,' Cammy paled. "Was he about five-feet-ten, muscular, with dark brown hair and bushy eyebrows? Kind of serious?"  
  
Luwanda nodded. "That's the guy."  
  
In a fit of rage, Cammy was on her commander. "YOU IDIOT!"  
  
Watson looked up. "Wha? What did I do?"  
  
"You picked a fight with one of the judges for the pageant, that's what!" Cammy yelled. "Why did you pick a fight with Ryu, huh?!"  
  
"That was Ryu?" Wolfman asked. "Ryu Hoshi? The same guy that had beaten Bison back in the tournament?"  
  
Cammy nodded. "Yeah. That was him." She turned back to Watson. "What the hell did you do to piss him off anyway?!"   
  
"The Japanese fella had gotten into a fight at the restaurant wth some other karate guys," McCoy explained. "He have some moves on him, I'll give him that."  
  
"For a Japanese guy, he's cute," Luwanda added.  
  
"Anyway," McCoy continued, "The guy single-handedly took out the katate team and as a finale, he had accidentally tossed the last guy into our table, thus ruining the commander's jacket. Then Watson got into the guy's face. The Japanese guy had no quarrel, but Watson wanted to hear nothing of it. That was when Guile appeared."  
  
Cammy went completely white. "Guile was there?"  
  
Luwanda nodded. "Yup. He's exactly how you've described him. He made the commander apologize to Ryu and that was it."  
  
Once again, Cammy was on Watson. "You fucking imbecile! You're trying to get me disqualified from the pageant?!" She then stormed out of the room in a huff.  
  
Wolfman was on his feet. "I'll go and talk to her."  
  
***  
  
Back at the beach condo, Ryu was getting his injuries treated by Chun Li. Ryu had discarded his shirt, so that Chun Li, who was sitting behind him, could apply some salve for his bruises.   
  
"At least you're not hurt too badly," the Chinese fighter said. "I'd hate to see you bruised."  
  
Ryu shrugged his broad shoulders. "That was nothing. I'd had worse." He was then surprised when Chun Li swinged around and sat in his lap. She hooked her legs around his waist and dangled her arms around his neck.  
  
She then leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Fei also told me about your fidelity. Thank you for remaining loyal to me." She giggled. "You could have been with anvbody else, but remained loyal to me."  
  
Ryu smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, who else can put up with your stubborn and egotistical nature?"  
  
Chun Li pulled back, but was still sitting in Ryu's lap. "I do not have an ego! I'm stubborn, at times, but I do not have an ego!" she said in mock anger.  
  
"So what's the whole 'Strongest Woman in the World' thing you always do?"  
  
Chun Li smirked. "This coming from Mr. 'The Fight Is All.'"  
  
"Okay, you got me right there," Ryu chuckled. "I love you."  
  
Chun Li pecked him on the nose. "I love you, too."  
  
The moment, however, was ruined when Ken barged in. "Hey, Ryu, you wanna--whoa."  
  
Both Ryu and Chun Li turned to Ken. "OUT!"  
  
Ken was gone in a flash. 


	6. Preperations

Chapter Six: Preperations  
  
{...} Japanese  
  
Juli was dreaming.  
  
She was standing in the middle of a field somewhere. Where she was she couldn't tell. It was also nighttime. She was dressed in her one-piece navy blue Shadowlaw uniform, complete with her red fighting gauntlets. She was not wearing her beret and her hair cascaded down her back, covering her exposed back that the uniform showed.  
  
There was someone there. A lone person, waiting for her. A man dressed in a simple karate gi and a crimson headband, the ends fluttering in the breeze. His back was to her as Juli approached. The man turned around. It was Ryu. Juli froze in her tracks.  
  
The Shotokan fighter raised one glove-encased hand and placed it on the side of Ryu's face. Juli sighed as she allowed him to tenderly caress her face.  
  
"It has been a long time, Juli," Ryu said softly.  
  
"It has," Juli replied. "Ryu...come with me. We can seize comtrol of Shadowlaw together. Bison is no match for you, and you can have me as a bonus."  
  
"You and Shadowlaw," Ryu whispered, pulling her close. "Such an enticing offer. What would your boss think if he found out that you were here with me, planning his demise?"  
  
Juli shook her head. "I don't care anymore." She began to kiss his neck and run her hands all across his chest. "I want you."  
  
Ryu stopped her fromm kissing his neck and pulled her in and kissed her deeply. The gauntlets that Juli were wearing came off and landed at her feet, allowing her to place her arms around Ryu's neck and pressing her body closer to his.   
  
Juli ran her ringers through Ryu's hair as he caressed her back as he kissed her neck. Juli moaned in approval at Ryu's ministrations...  
  
***  
  
Juli's eyes snapped open. She was not in a field with Ryu. She was in her bed at the Royal Pacific. She sat up, revealing the haltertop and cotton shorts she was wearing and shook her head. 'You are a rather sad inidividual, Juli,' she scolded herself. 'You're having dreams about a man that you can't possibly have.'  
  
As she settled back into the bed, she heard a voice that made her wake up. "Dreaming about me?"  
  
Juli sat up once again and turned on the light. Seated in a chair across from her, was Vega, dressed in his usual pair of matador pants and a tanktop. He had also discarded his mask and claw.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Juli demanded.  
  
Vega grinned. "I told the receptionist that I was your fiance, and he gave me a key."  
  
Juli jumped out of the bed and walked to the door. "Vega, get out of my room now."  
  
Vega stood up and cornered Juli against the door. "Why are you cold to me?" he asked. "I used to remember that you and I were an item back when you were in Shadowlaw."  
  
"I was young and stupid--" Juli countered.  
  
"--and flexible," Vega finished. He moved in for a kiss, but Juli managed to dodge him and slip away form him. Vega ended up kissing the door. Vega turned around. "Come on, Juli! Since when did you became all cold on me?"  
  
"I was never cold," Juli replied, folding her arms across her chest. "I wised up and went straight. You were always an asshole."  
  
"Oh...I see," Vega surmised. "You're stuck up on Ryu, aren't you?"  
  
"And what if I am? He is a lot more man than an narcissist psychopath like you."  
  
"Ryu is nothing!" Vega retaliated. "He is a nobody! I am of noble blood! He's busy running around town with that Chinese bitch who cost me several thousand dollars' worth of reconstructive surgery to my face! And besides, what does Ryu got that I don't have already?"  
  
Juli smirked. She had heard that Chun Li had damaged Vega's face back in the Street Fighter tournament. Vega ended up with severe bruises and cuts, not to mention a broken nose and a swollen eye. "For one thing, charisma. Second, manners, third, honor. You have nothing."  
  
Vega was livid. He attempted to backhand Juli, who dodged and moved behind him. When Vega spun around, he saw that Juli was in the air. A second later, her lithe, yet incredibly strong legs wrapped themselves around Vega's neck. Juli then flipped him to the ground in her trademark Frankesteiner move.  
  
Vega got back to his feet and started swinging. Juli dodged the blows. When Vega tried a roundhouse, she crounched down and once back on her feet, nailed the man with a solid kick to the groin. Vega went down, holding his privates, allowing Juli to take advantage. Grabbing a handful of his hair, Juli yanked him to his feet and had one arm behind his back in a painful arm bar.  
  
"Let's get one thing clear," Juli seethed. "Don't ever come into my room ever again. Don't even come near me. If you do...I'll PERSONALLY rearrange your face and neuter your ass on the spot!"  
  
She then opened the door and booted Vega out into the hallway, right before slamming the door behind him.   
  
Vega landed in the hallway in a heap. Groaning, he shakes the cobwebs out of his head, just as someone approaches him.  
  
It was Bison. Rather than his Shadowlaw uniform, he was wearing a black bathrobe with the winged skull insignia on the breast. He even went without his trademark hat. On his feet were a pair of bedroom slippers.  
  
Bison placed his hands in his pockets. "Looks like Juli isn't interested," he remarked dryly.  
  
Vega stumbled to his feet. "She's playing hard to get, sir."  
  
Bison shook his head. "Leave her be. I mean it, Vega. Cease and desist, immediately. Leave Juli alone...or you can deal with me once we get back to the headquarters, understand?"  
  
Vega nodded and Bison walked back to his room.  
  
***  
  
Morning. In the guest bedroom at the Masters' beachside condo, Chun Li woke up to an empty bed. Ryu was gone, so she decided to get out of bed and look for him. Slipping a bathrobe over her nightgown, she tied it up and exited the bedroom.  
  
At least Ryu wasn't hard to find. Chun Li found him on the beach near the condo. Wearing nothing but his white gi pants and black belt, he was going through his meditation kata, which was a combination of Shotokan Karate and Tai Chi.  
  
Chun Li watched him from the door. He was so graceful in his movements. That and the fact that he was half-naked, his chest and arms exposed, made her want to jump on him with a passion.  
  
Ryu finished his kata and turned to the door. He saw Chun Li watching him. "Morning, Chun Li," he greeted.  
  
Chun Li walked over to him and embraced him. "Good morning." She then feigned a pout. "I was worried when you were not in bed this morning. I thought you went off with one of your female fans."  
  
"Why should I?" the Japanese fighter replied. "I have the most beautiful woman in my arms right now. I need nobody else."   
  
"Flattery..." Chun Li said, "will get you anything you want."  
  
"Really? Well, how about this? Ken told me about a carnival not too far from here. I was thinking after you leave rehersal, maybe you and me can go later on tonight. Just you and me."  
  
Chun Li smiled. "I'd like that."  
  
Ryu grabbed his jacket, which was was draped over a lawn chair and slipped it over his shoulders. Arms intwined, the couple headed back to the house, but stopped. Cammy was standing in the doorway. She was dressed in her Delta Red unirorm, but this time she was also wearing a pair of camoflague pants to cover her legs.  
  
Ryu disengaged himself from Chun Li and stepped forward. Cammy removed her beret and moved forward.  
  
Cammy took on look at the Shotokan champion's exposed chest and her ears began to burn. 'Damn him!' she thought. 'Now I see why Chun Li likes him so much!'  
  
Ryu stuck his thumbs into his belt. "What is it, Cammy?"  
  
"Um...I came to apologize on Commander Watson's behalf," Cammy said meekly. "I'm really sorry about what had happened!"  
  
Ryu placed one hand on Cammy's shoulder. "There's nothing to forgive," Ryu replied. "I hold no grudge to your superior of to you teammates."  
  
Cammy breathed sight of relief. For a moment, she thought that Ryu was going to kick her out of the pageant. Cammy bowed. "Thank you." She then turned and ran out the house. Ryu simply smiled and shook his head.  
  
Chun Li fumed. "If I didn't know any better, I thought she was going to try and hit on you."  
  
"Like that would work on me," Ryu replied.  
  
***  
  
Later on...  
  
Inside the Honolulu Audirotium, the contestants of the pageant were going over the final preperations before tomorrow night, seeing as how this was going to be the last rehersal for the contestants before he pageant. Cammy was wearing a pair of tap shoes and was going through several complicated steps, the Italian fortuneteller Rose was wearing a pair of high heels and was going through some flamenco steps, the schoolgirl heiress Karin Kanzuki was still wondering what to do for her talent, the Indian princess Pullum Purna was checking which musid she couls use for her talent - belly dancing, while her bodyguard, Darum Mister stood nearby. Guy's sister-in-law Maki was testing the durability of her tonfas for her self-defense talent. Juli was talking to Cracker Jack about the song that Bison had chose for her, and Eliza and Chun Li were looking over the list songs that they could use for their talents.  
  
Eliza shook her head. "Ugh. These songs are no good."  
  
"You tell me," the Chinese fighter scoffed. "I've seen better choices at a karaoke bar."  
  
"Where did Ryu run off to today?"  
  
"He's going with Ken to pick up their suits for the pageant. Why?"  
  
Chun Li smiled. "Ryu is taking me to the carnival afterwards."  
  
Meanwhile, Juli and C. Jack were still arguing.  
  
"Forget it," the former Shadowlaw employee replied. "I'm not singing THAT."  
  
"Bison was direct when he chose this song," C. Jack replied.   
  
Juli got into C. Jack's face. "Either I sing the song I want to sing, or Bison can find another person to participate in this pageant."  
  
C. Jack nodded. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
***  
  
-Honolulu Mall-  
  
Meanwhile, Ryu and Ken were arguing about something else.  
  
"Come on, Ryu! Wearing a suit isn't going to kill you!"  
  
"I look like a penguin," Ryu complained at the suit he wore.  
  
The owner of the shop, a skinny Japanese man, spoke to Ryu in rapid-fire Japanese. {You are right, my big friend. The suit doensn't, pardon the pun, 'suit' you.}  
  
Ryu the got an idea and motioned the owner closer. He whispered into the owner's ear and the owner's face lit up.  
  
The owner bowed. {Yes! Yes, I can do that!}  
  
{But I need the package by tomorrow night before 6,} Ryu replied.  
  
The owner bowed again. {It will be done before then.}  
  
Ryu gave the owner the address and after Ryu changed back into his casual outfit, which was a black T-shirt and denim jeans, he and Ken walked out of the store.  
  
***  
  
As they exited the clothing store, they ran into Fei Long again. He was still dressed incognito, with his sunglasses.  
  
"Hi, Fei," Ken greeted.  
  
"What brings you here?" Ryu asked.   
  
Fei shruggd his shoulders. "I was just checking out the place. I might use this for a scene in my next movie."  
  
However, one of the female patrons noticed Fei and saw through his disguise. "OMIGOD! IT'S FEI LONG!"  
  
That set off a chain reaction as an stampede of women charged towards the Chinese movie star. Ryu and Ken ducked back into the store as Fei was pursued by the throng of screaming women.  
  
"I'd sure hate to be him," Ryu said.  
  
"No argument there," his friend agreed. "So what's next?"  
  
Ryu caught sight of a jewerly store. "I have something to do first," the Japansese fighter said as he headed in the direction of the store.  
  
***  
  
-And later on...-  
  
Inside Chun Li and Ryu's bedroom, Eliza and Cammy were sitting on the edge of the bed as they watched Chun Li pick out her wardrobe for the evening with Ryu. Chun Li knew that it was only Ryu she was going out with, but she always liked to make an impression on him.  
  
Eliza and Cammy dodged another article of clothing that was tossed in their direction. "Um, Chun Li," Eliza objected, "It's just a harmless date, not a fashion show. Besides, Ryu is the kind of guy who likes you regardless of what you wear."  
  
"So it's really pointless for you to flash your chest on the date," Cammy chimed in.  
  
This time, a pair of denim pants caught Cammy in the face.  
  
Chun Li stepped out of the closed, carrying several articles of clothing in her hands, and walked into the bathroom. After six outfits, Chun Li came across something she liked: A black midriff tanktop and a pair of white pants. Cammy and Eliza gave her the thumbs-up for that outfit.  
  
Grabbing her wallet, Chun Li rushed out of the room and out of the house to meet up with her boyfriend for their date. 


	7. The Date, And The Fight Thereafter

Chapter Seven: The Date...And The Fight Thereafter  
  
Note: This chapter sets the stage for the sequel...if I ever get around to writing it.   
  
2nd Note: I was looking at this one movie on the tube, and that's where I got this song from. Guess which artist made THIS one? Bah.  
  
Sure enough, there was a carnival going on not too far from the Masters' beachside condo. Ryu was there, waiting for Chun Li at the ground's entrance, not paying attention to the longing stares of the women who had passed by.  
  
One of them, a Hawaiian woman in her mid-twenties, approached the Japanese fighter. "Are you new in town?" she asked.  
  
"Not really," Ryu replied. "I'm actually waiting for my girlfriend."  
  
The woman had a seductive look in her eyes. Ryu was not swayed by her charms. "It's a shame," the woman replied. "If I had a man like you, then I would never leave you alone. I might get jealous if I saw you with another woman."  
  
That was when Chun Li showed up behind the other woman. "Soneone like me, perhaps?" How dare this ditz try to seduce her man--as if Ryu was not interested.  
  
The Hawaiian turned around. "Can't you see I'm trying to carry on a conversation here?" she said in a venomous tone.  
  
Chun Li raised one fist. "You'll be carrying your teeth in the next three seconds if you don't move away from my boyfriend," she said.  
  
As fast as she came, the woman was gone. Ryu watched the exchange with a slightly bemused expression on his face. "Aren't we the jealous one?" he remarked dryly.  
  
Chun Li turned to Ryu. "Don't start with me, Mister Hoshi, or I will kick your ass."  
  
Ryu grinned. "You can try."  
  
Chun Li threw a punch at Ryu's head. Almost by reflex, Ryu blocked it with his forearm and pulled his woman close to him.  
  
"Finished yet?" he asked.  
  
"I will be, as soon as you do something to change my mind," she replied.  
  
Ryu moved in and kissed her on the lips. After a few moments, the pair brok off the kiss, leaving Chun Li breathless.   
  
"Yeah, that did it," she breathed.  
  
***  
  
Chun Li's anger evaporated as she and Ryu took in the sights of the carnival, enjoying each other's company. Needless to say, Ryu was the object of envy for most of the women there, seeing as he had the most beautiful woman on his arm.  
  
As they crossed the boardwalk, they came across a small music cafe with the words COUPLES NIGHT on the front door. Seeing as they WERE a couple, Ryu and Chun Li walked inside.  
  
Inside the cafe, they found an empty table and sat down. Ryu flagged down a waitress and ordered him and his girlfriend drinks--her a iced tea, him iced water. As the waitress rushed off to get their drinks.  
  
"We should do this more often," Chun Li said, "you know, just go out to places like this, just you and me."  
  
"Remember when we had a night out?" Ryu asked.  
  
Chun Li nodded. "Yeah, I remember. It was the day after we moved to Osaka. You took me out to dinner, to celebrate my new position at Interpol's Japanese office." She paused for a moment. "Y'know, seeing as how there's basically nothing else left for me to do, I was thinking about resigning, maybe open up a private detective agency with the money I'm going to win from this pageant."  
  
"That is, IF you win," Ryu corrected her.  
  
Chun Li grinned. "I know I'm going to win. And I know YOU'RE going to vote for me."  
  
"Just because I'm the judge and you're the contestant doesn't mean that I'm going to vote for you right off the bat," the Japanese martial artist insisted. "That would be biased. I've decided that I will vote for the most talented woman who is deserving of the victory."  
  
"Remember that when you're sleeping on the couch when we return home," Chun Li warned him.  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "I've slept in worse places when I was on the road. A couch is like a queen-sized bed next to the ground in a cave."  
  
The live band--which consisted of a tall, muscular, white-haired man wearing a red jacket with white stripes, and whire slacks, a teenage boy dressed in a black shirt under a blue shirt with hung from his shoulders, and similar white pants, and a redhead whose bangs covered her eyes, and was clad in a pink dress, started to play a romantic song.  
  
Note: If you ever played the King of Fighters series, you can pretty much guess who THESE THREE are. ;)  
  
Ryu looked at Chun Li. "Chun...what would you do...if I asked you to marry me?"  
  
Chun Li blinked. She wasn't expecting that. "Ryu..."  
  
At that moment, the redhead--who happened to be the lead singer, began to sing.  
  
[There's a song that's inside of my soul]   
  
Ryu dug into his pocket and pulled out a small object. It was a simple wedding ring. It had cost him an arm and a leg, but it was worth it.  
  
[It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again]   
  
Chun Li was speechless.  
  
[I'm awake in the infinite cold.]  
  
"Chun Li, I know that this is all unexpected, with the pageant and everything," Ryu continued, "but--"  
  
  
  
[But you sing to me over and over and over again.]  
  
Chun Li pressed one finger to his lips. "Ryu..."  
  
[So, I lay my head back down]   
  
Chun Li chose her words carefully. "Ryu...I need some time to think about this. You're asking me to take a huge step in our relationship."  
  
[And I lift my hands and pray]   
  
Ryu understood. "Take all the time you need. I will be wating for your answer."  
  
[To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours]  
  
Chun Li smiled and placed one hand on the side of Ryu's face.  
  
  
  
[I know now you're my only hope...]  
  
SMASH!  
  
"RYU HOSHI!"  
  
The entire moment was then wrecked with the double doors being kicked from its hinges, and a female voice scremaing out Ryu's name.   
  
"What the hell?" Ryu was on his feet. "Why can't I spend a normal day together with my girlfriend?"  
  
Standing in the open doorway, was Kiyomi, the sister of the man whom Ryu had fought the night before. This time she wasn't alone. Flanking her, were eight more fighters.  
  
Chun Li was on her feet and standing beside her man. "Friend of yours?"  
  
"Long story," was the reply.  
  
Kiyomi, now dressed in a black hakama was in a fury. "Ryu! You may have gotten lucky with my brother, but now you don't have your friends here to save you?"  
  
From the stage, it was obvious that the tall man had recognized Ryu's name. 'That's Ryu Hoshi? The karate expert?'  
  
Ryu folded his arms across his chest. "Gee, your school's persistance in defeating me even surprises me, Kiyomi. However, the night before, I let that slide." his eyes were now glaring. "You interrupted my date with my girlfriend. I have a huge problem with that."  
  
Kiyomi looked down on Chun Li. "That bitch you're with means nothing to me."  
  
Up until the moment Kiyomi had insulted her, Chun Li had planned on staying out of this. But when Kiyomi had called her a bitch, she wanted to unleash a Kikoushou right then and there, but kept her cool.  
  
Ryu was surprised when Chun Li marched towards Kiyomi and stood within strking range. Chun Li cracked her neck muscles. "What did you call me?"  
  
"A BITCH!" Kiyomi yelled.  
  
SMACK!  
  
Kiyomi was knocked flat on her back, thanks to Chun Li's roundhoue kick to the face. Seeing that the Chinese fighter had drawn blood, Kiyomi sent her fighters after them. "Get them!"  
  
The eight fighters then surrounded the two fighters. Ryu now had his back against Chun Li's, both watching the circling fighters that were primed to attack at any moment. Then the fight fighters attacked in full force.   
  
Three of them advanced on Chun Li. Chun Li dispatched one of them with a footsweep, and when she came back up, she delivered a front snap kick to her second opponent. The third fighter, this time armed with a steel sword, swung his weapon in a vertical slash...and missed.  
  
KRACKKRACKKRACK!  
  
Chun Li dove into a handstand and began to spin, legs stretched in a split as she dropped her final opponent with her Spinning Bird Kick.  
  
The other four fighters were quickly taken down with general ease on Ryu's part. With an bored expression, Ryu dealt out swift and severe blows with his hands. The defeated fighters, after they had became throughly accquainted with Ryu's fists and Chun Li's feet, were sent packing. Only Kiyomi remained.  
  
Chun Li wanted to do this alone. "She's mine," she seethed.  
  
Ryu stepped back.  
  
While the fight was taking place, Kiyomi had recovered, hoping to see the defeat of Ryu and his woman, but that didn't happen. Now she had Ryu's enraged woman to deal with.  
  
Aside from the fact that her hair was sporting several strands, Chun Li was completely unscathed. Her expression was something that one didn't want to see--hell hath no fury than that of an woman insulted and Chun Li was planning on delivering some serious pain to Kiyomi.  
  
***  
  
Outside the cafe, three minutes later...  
  
"Kikou...SHOU!"  
  
KA-BLAM!  
  
The human projectile that was Kiyomi was sent flying out of the cafe, and landed on the boardwalk. Her hakama was shredded, but still had enough clothes for some degree of modesty. The force of Chun Li's Kikoushou had rendered her opponent unconscious.  
  
Chun Li stepped out onto the boardwalk. In the end, Kiyomi was no match. It only took her several blows to knock Kiyomi out.  
  
Ryu stepped out next to her and looked at his girlfriend's handiwork. Chun Li turned to Ryu. "Come on. Let's go home." She glanced at her fallen opponent. "She pretty much wrecked our date."  
  
***  
  
Back at the Masters condo, the pair were getting ready for bed. Ryu had, in the meantime, told her everything. The tournament in Nagoya, in which he had fought Kiyomi's karate school, which led up to the brawl at the restaurant and the fight inside the cafe.  
  
Ryu was clad in a pair of blue pajama pants, his chest was bare. He was doing his stretching excercises before he went to bed. Chun Li was wearing a short terrycloth robe, and was brushing out her hair.  
  
"I'm really sorry about today," Ryu apologized.  
  
Chun Li placed the brush down and faced Ryu. "It wasn't your fault," she replied. She then managed a smile. "Now I know for a fact that you are faithful to me."  
  
"Was there ever any doubt?"  
  
"A little."  
  
The Shotokan fighter crossed the room and stood in front of Chun Li. "Is there anything I can do to to help you forget?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with good humor.  
  
Chun Li wrapped her arms around his neck. "You can try," she replied, pushing him back to the bed.  
  
The two fighters began to kiss. However, Ryu had misjudged the distance of the bed and stumbled on its side, sending both him and Chun Li onto the matress laughing. They stopped for a moment before resuming their kissing, which led to something more as Ryu fumbled for the lamp on the nightstand.  
  
It turned off with a soft click, leavingg the two lovers with the moonlight outside as a source of light. 


	8. The Day of the Pageant

Chapter Eight: The Day of the Pageant  
  
Morning. A warm tropical wind blew in from an open window into one of the Masters' beachside condo, stirring the light window curtains.  
  
The room happened to be the bedroom in which Ryu Hoshi was in at the moment. He was in the bed, naked, and fast asleep. He mumbled something in Japanese, then opened his eyes. Hesaw that Chun Li was not in the bed with him. 'Hmm...she must have gotten up already,' he thought.  
  
After taking a shower and changing into his usual karate gi--minus the gloves and headband--Ryu stepped out of the room. There he bumped into Eliza.  
  
"Moning, Ryu," the blonde woman greeted.  
  
Ryu nodded his head. "Good morning, Eliza."  
  
Before Ryu could ask where Chun Li was, Eliza answered. "She's out back."  
  
Ryu mumbled out a 'thank you' and headed to the backyard.  
  
Sure enough, Chun Li was out in the backyard. She was simply watching the horizon, sipping a mug full of warm tea. She was dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a halter top, and her hair was done in here usual braided and bunned style.  
  
Ryu snuck behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "Good morning."  
  
Chun Li smiled and craned her neck so that she could peck him on the lips. "Hey."  
  
Ryu continued to hold her close. "Today is the big day."  
  
Chun Li nodded. "Yeah. I'm so nervous."  
  
"It's good to be nervous. Loosens you up, and keeps you sharp."  
  
Again Chun Li looks at him. "Does every advice you give me has something to to with fighting?"  
  
"I thought I was helping."  
  
She smiled and leaned back into his embrace.  
  
***  
  
Later on, the two Shotokan fighters bid farewell to their respected women and they were gone, preparing for the pageant.  
  
Ryu crossed his arms. "This is going to be a long night." He looked at Ken. "When do we have to show up at the pageant?"  
  
"One hour in advance," Ken replied. Ryu then noticed that he was dressed in his crimson karate gi. "You wanna go a couple of rounds?"  
  
Ryu shook his head. "Not this time, Ken. Eliza and Chun would disapprove of us fighting before the pageant."  
  
Ken nodded. "Hmm. Point taken. How about meditating?"  
  
Ryu was already on his way out to the backyard. "Fair enough."  
  
***  
  
-Honololu Auditorium, late afternoon-  
  
Inside the dressing room, the contestants were preparing for the pageant. Chun Li and Eliza were helping each other with their makeup, while the other contestants were either getting dressed or trying to stay calm.  
  
"You know," Eliza mused. "If I win, no hard feelings."  
  
"Same goes to you," Chun Li replied.  
  
"IF you win," a third voice interrupted.  
  
Eliza and Chun Li turned to the newcomer. It was Juli. She was sitting in front of her mirror, undoing her bun. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back.  
  
"And you are?" Eliza asked.  
  
"My new name is Julia Reindhart." Juli looked at Chun Li. "But Detective Xiang knows who I am."  
  
Chun Li nodded. "You're Juli. Commander of the elite Shadowlaw dolls."  
  
Juli shook her head. "That was a long time ago. Up until several days ago, I had severed my ties with Shadowlaw when I was thrown out several years ago. General Bison tracked me down and asked me to compete." Before Chun Li could ask another question, Juli countered with one of her own. "Ryu hasn't told you about me?"  
  
"He mentioned someone within Shadowlaw who was his equal as a warrior, other than Sagat," Chun Li replied. "Someone who was more disciplined, honorable and dignified than anyone working for the side of evil."  
  
Juli nodded.  
  
"What is your connection to Ryu?" Eliza asked.  
  
Juli placed her brushed down and looked at the two women. "Back during the tournaments, I was ordered by Bison to find Ryu and bring him back to the headquarters. I found Ryu while he was travelling through Burma, and we fought. I lost the fight, and as a result of my failure, Bison threw me out of Shadowlaw."   
  
A small smile crept across her lips. "I really should thank him the next time I see him again. He showed me another path in life in which I answer to no one but myself." She looked at Chun Li. "I know he is here in the city, and that he is a judge for the pageant." She picked up her brush and resumed brusing out her hair. "You're gonna need a lot of luck if you're planning on winning this pageant."  
  
***  
  
-Masters Beachside Condo, early evening-  
  
"Come on, Ryu!" Ken Masters yelled. "We're gonna be late!"  
  
Ken, along with Fei and Guile, were in the living room of the condo, waiting for Ryu to finish getting ready for the pageant. Ken was dressed in a sharp black business suit, his hair done in a neat ponytail. Fei was fress likewise, while Guile was dressed in his Air Force blue dress uniform, complete with medals.  
  
The sound of footsteps gained the three fighters' attention.   
  
It was Ryu. He was dressed in a formal navy blue men's yukata, the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, revealing his arms. A pair of leather sandals (similar to the ones that Akuma would usually wear) were on his bare feet. His ever-present red headband was wrapped around his forehead.. By Japanese standards, Ryu Hoshi looked badass. However, Ken notived something white...and tattered poking though the ends of Ryu's outfit.  
  
Ken let out a low whistle. "Nice outfit."  
  
Ryu presented himself to his friends. "How do I look?"  
  
Fei and Guile gave him a thumbs-up.  
  
"You ready?" Ken asked.  
  
Ryu nodded, and the four judges ventured off to the pageant. 


	9. Old Accquaintances

Chapter Nine: Old Accquaintances  
  
By the time Ryu, Ken, Guile, and Fei Long arrived at the auditoruim, various members of the audience were starting to arrive. Members from Shadowlaw, Interpol, Special Forces and MI-6 were starting to arrive. The four judges were ushered into a side door and were taken to the room where the judges were chatting amongst themselves...in two different areas, one for the good guys, the other for the bad guys.  
  
Naturally, Ryu and company mingled with the heroes. While Ryu was drinking some punch, he noticed two of the judges quarrelling. Under any other circumstances, he would not interfere, but he was against the idea of a huge brawl before the pageant.  
  
Ryu gupled down the last of his punch and moved in to intervene. He saw that one of the two men was the commando Rolento Schugerg. Like Guile, he was dressed in a khaki version of his military dress uniform. His trademark red beret was on his head.  
  
The second man was taller, American, with dark brown hair which was neatly combed back and a trimmed moustache. His bulging muscular frame was prominent through his tuxedo, and he was prepared to pummel the commando into the ground.  
  
It was apparent that Rolento and the big guy had a serious vendetta against one another.  
  
Suddenly, the green baton that Rolento uses as his main weapon was out and he was drawing his hand back to smack the big man silly.  
  
Ryu's hand caught Rolento's wrist, stopping the commando from attacking. Rolento turned around. "Hoshi."  
  
"Schugerg," Ryu replied. "There will be no fighting here. Not tonight."  
  
Rolento looked at Ryu, then at his nemesis. He then yanked his arm our of Ryu's grip and stalked out. Ryu and the big man watched him go. "I really didn't need your help," the other guy started, "but thanks." He looked at Ryu closely. "You're Ryu, aren't you? Guy told me about you."   
  
Ryu nodded. "Yeah. I'm Ryu."  
  
The man extended his hand. "Mike Haggar."  
  
Ryu shook it. "Guy told me about you as well. You're the mayor of Metro City, aren't you? The mayor who took to the streets and cleaned up the town."  
  
Haggar nodded. "Former mayor. Now, seeing as my two terms as mayor are over, I work as a motivational speaker now. I try to steer people clear of gangs."  
  
"How noble," Ryu replied.  
  
"Yeah, but it keeps the youth out of trouble," Haggar replied.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
In another corridor of the auditorium, Eliza, now wearing a red slinky evening dress and high heels, was on her way back to the womens' dressing room when she once again ran into Vega.  
  
"We meet again, kitten," the Spainard said.  
  
"I remember you," Eliza replied. "From the other day."  
  
"Yes."  
  
The strange feeling that there was somnething wrong with this guy came back over Eliza. "What are you doing for this pageant?" she asked.  
  
"I represent my employer, who is a sponsor," Vega replied smoothly. He then felt someone behind him. When the Spanigh ninja turned around, he found himself face-to-face with a VERY mad Ken Masters.  
  
Eliza breathed a sigh of relief. "Ken."  
  
Vega smiled cruelly. "Masters. It has been a while. You have a very lovely wife."  
  
"And you have ten seconds to get away from my wife before I rearrange your face in ways Chun Li never thought possible," Ken said in a calm, yet dangerous tone.  
  
Surprisingly, Vega backed off. "Of course, Masters. No harm, no foul." With a bow to Eliza, Vega left.  
  
Eliza turned to her husband. "Ken, what was that all about?"  
  
"Keep away from him," was Ken's reply.  
  
Eliza smirked. "Aren't we jealous?"  
  
Ken shook his head. "He works for Shadowlaw. He tried to kill Chun Li back in the tournament."  
  
Eliza paled. She was right about Vega after all.  
  
***  
  
Not too far from where the Ken-Vega standoff was concluding, Ryu was walking down another corridor, looking for the restroom. As he rounded a corner, he ran into a young woman.  
  
Ryu bowed slightly. "Sorry."  
  
The woman shook her head. "No. It was my fault." She looked at Ryu closely. "Ryu?"  
  
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "Juli?"  
  
Juli beamed. She was wearing a purple dress. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, rather than in her usual bun. "You remember me. You changed the last time I saw you back in the Alpha tournament."  
  
"So did you," Ryu replied. He then caught himself. "Wait a minute. Don't you work for Shadowlaw?"   
  
"Formerly of Shadowlaw," Juli explained. "I was thrown out when I couldn't defeat you."   
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
Juli shook her head. "No, no. It's okay, really. I hear that you are a judge in this pageant."  
  
Ryu nodded. "Yes."  
  
Neither person noticed Chun Li and Cammy listening in from around the corner. At least, for Chun Li's sake, Ryu wasn't flirting with the former assassin.   
  
"So what made you compete for Shadowlaw?"  
  
"As I said earlier," Juli replied, "I've been out of Shadowlaw for several years now. I went straight, thanks to Cammy, and got a job at a security firm. Bison found me and asked me to compete. And we all know that Bison is not a person that you could say no to."  
  
"I know the feeling," Ryu replied.  
  
From their hiding place, Cammy nudged Chun Li. "She's not filrting with him," she whispered.   
  
"Shut up," Chun Li whispered.  
  
"Looks like your girlfriend is also competing," Juli said.  
  
"Yes, that puts me in a tough spot," Ryu replied. "I can't just vote for Chun Li off the bat. I promised myself that I would be a fair and just judge."  
  
"How noble of you."  
  
"Juli."  
  
Bison approached the Shotokan fighter and his former empolyee. The warlord was dressed in a black Shadowlaw dress uniform (think the Navy's officer uniform), complete with medals and his trademark black cape over one shoulder. His red hat was in the crook of his arm, his black hair neatly combed back.  
  
At the sound of Bison's voice, Chun Li went ballistic. She tried to go after him, but was held back by Cammy.  
  
Bison looked at Juli. "You have a pageant to prepare for."  
  
Juli inclined her head. "Yes, General," she replied, saying the last word with sarcasm before taking her leave.  
  
Bison watched Juli walked off before turning back to Ryu, his solid white eyes staring into Ryu's dark brown. "Never thought I'd see you again," he said.  
  
Ryu never took his eyes off Bison. "Same here," he replied.  
  
"I want you to do me a favor," Bison continued. "Vote for Juli."  
  
Ryu scoffed. "Forget it. I'm voing for the person I choose."  
  
Bison cracked his knuckles. "You would be wise to do what I request, Ryu Hoshi. Otherwise something bad might happen to you Chinese girlfriend."  
  
Ryu wasn't abaited. "Touch her and you will get a real taste of Shotokan. The DARK kind."  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Ryu and Bison turned around. Ken, Haggar, and Fei approached. Knowing he was outnumbered, Bison took a step back. "I will see you outside, Hoshi," Bison said as he walked off.  
  
Ryu sighed as his friends approached. "This is going to be a VERY long night." 


	10. The Miss World Warrior Pageant

Chapter Ten: The Miss World Warrior Pageant  
  
Mumurs from the audience were heard as the stage at the Honolulu Auditorium went blank. Then the stagelights raced among the gathered crowd as the pageant's theme music began to play.  
  
On the stage, the eight women gracefully walked across the stage and stuck a pose, while the ten jusges, in their best attire, matched from seperate doorways, to the tables and sat down.  
  
"Live from the Honolulu Auditorium," the unknown announcer (the one from the original SF2, who used to announce the country where the next fight would be taking place), "We bring to you, the Miss Wold Warrior Pageant!"  
  
The crowd came alive, chering and whooping.  
  
The camera moved down to the judges. First, on Ken, who stood up. "Now for the judges. From the Masters Foundation, the vice-president of operations and Pan American karate champion, Ken Masters!"  
  
Ken grins and flashes a thumbs-up. Then the camera moves to Ryu, who stands up.  
  
"From Japan, the reigning Street Fighter champion and Shotokan Karate master, Ryu Hoshi!"  
  
Ryu folded his arms across his chest. From out of nowhere, a gentle wind came forward, ruffling his clothes and headband. Then the camera moved over to Fei.  
  
"Hailing from Hong Kong, the hottest action star to grace the silver screen. Ladies and gentlemen, Fei Long!"  
  
Fei adjusted his shades and gives a cocky grin as his female fans--Shadowlaw included--cheered. Next came Guile.  
  
"From the U.S.A., the infamous 'King of the Air Force,' Colonel William F. Guile!"  
  
Guile pulls out a comb and readjusts his hair in two strokes. Mike Haggar was next in line.  
  
"From Metro City, the ex-mayor turned political activist, Mike Haggar!"  
  
Haggar simply folded his arms across his broad chest and grins. Then came Sagat.  
  
"From Thailand...the 'Emperor of Muay Thai...' Victor Sagat!"  
  
Sagat crossed his arms across his chest and began to laugh. Rolento was next.  
  
"From whereabouts unknown, the elite commando, Rolento Schugerg!"  
  
Baton in hand, Rolento snapped his fingers. Seated in several rows behind him, Rolento's troops cheered. Vega (surprisingly without his mask) was next.  
  
"From Spain, the 'Spanish Ninja,' Vega!"  
  
Vega took a step back then did a backflip and raised his hand in a victory pose. Cracker Jack was the next judge.  
  
"From U.S.A., and a member of the Shadowlaw organization, Cracker Jack!"  
  
Cracker Jack simply adjusted his hat and grins. The next judge was a creepy-looking guy with a face dressed in a Shadowlaw uniform.  
  
"From Shadowlaw, the commander of the Shadowlaw Special Forces, Doctrine Dark!"  
  
D. Dark was too strung out to do anything. Last was Bison.  
  
"And our last judge, the lord of Shadowlaw, General M. Bison!"  
  
Bison folded his arms across his chest and sneers.  
  
"And now, we move onto the contestants!" The announcer said as the spotlight changed to the contestants. Cammy was first. She was wearing a sky-blue dress with a pair of black boots. Her hair was in her usual twin pigtails. She waves at the audience and smiles.  
  
"From the United Kingdom, representing MI-6, Camilla White!"  
  
The cheers were loudest from Delta Red, Cammy's squad.   
  
Next was Chun Li. She was wearing a scarlet Mandarin dress with black imprints of cherry blossoms on the skirt. Her hair was done in her ususal style and laced with ribbons.   
  
"From China, now residing in Japan, representing Interpol, Chun Li Xiang!"  
  
She smiles and bows.  
  
Ryu clapped for his woman, while Vega seethed, seeing as how she had mangled his face the last time he had fought her. Maki was next.   
  
"From Japan, representing the Bushin-ryu School, Maki!"   
  
She was wearing a red dress that suspiciously looked like the number that Milla Jovovich wore in the RE movie. She flashes a victory sign and beams. Eliza was the next contestant up. She was clad in a dark blue designer's dress with straps and a pair of stiletto heels. Her blonde hair framed her face.  
  
"From the U.S.A., representing the Masters Foundation, Elizabeth Masters!"  
  
Eliza waved and smiled at the audience. Ken was applauding, while Vega was mesmerized by her beauty. Next came Rose, who was wearing a strapped version of her usual gypsy's dress.  
  
"From Italy, the fortuneteller Rose!"  
  
Rose bows and throws a tarot card to Ryu, who effortlessly catches it. Chun Li saw this, but kept her cool. Karin Kanzuki was next. She was wearing a red-and-black dress and a pair of expensive sandals on her feet.  
  
"From Japan, representing the Kanzuki Syndicate, Karin Kanzuki!"  
  
Karin strikes a pose (her victory pose from Alpha 3). Pullum, clad in a slinky blue-and-white dress, was next to be introduced.  
  
"Hailing from India, the Indian Princess, Pullum Purna!"  
  
Pullum bows and blows a kiss to the judges. Last came Juli. She was wearing a dress that was similar to Eliza's save that it was black and showed a lot of leg. Her hair was done in her usual style and she had some makeup on.  
  
"Last, but not least, from Germany and representing Shadowlaw, Juli!"  
  
The loudest cheers came from Bison's Shadowlaw troops, mainly under the threat of torture from their boss. Juli merely inclined her head and smiled at the audience.  
  
From the judges' table, Ryu took a sip of water. "This is going to be a VERY long night."  
  
As the eight contestants departed from the stage, the announder continued speaking. "You have met our lovely contestants, not as they leave the stage, we will prepare for our swimsuit competition!" 


	11. The Swimsuit Competition

Chapter Eleven: The Swimsuit Competition  
  
"We are ready to move on to out swimsuit competition!" the announcer said. "Our first contestantant: Cammy White!"  
  
Cammy stepped out, wearing a two-piece sea green bikini and a pair of matching heels. This time, she had unbraided her hair as it fell down her back. She stepped onto the stage, twirls and steps out of sight.  
  
"Our next contestant, Maki!"  
  
The Bushin kunoichi hopped out in a red-and-white bikini, the Bushin crest on the left breast, and her pair of red-and-white tennis shoes. Maki showed off her gymnastic abilities by performing several backflips before landing.  
  
At the judges' table, Vega was not impressed. "Yawn."  
  
"Contestant number three: Eliza Masters!"  
  
Eliza stepped out in a white bikini, complete with a lily in her hair. She stuck a pose--in front of Ken--and smirked to herself as she watched her husband shift uncomfortably in his seat.  
  
Vega, on the other hand, was in awe. "Such beauty," he whispered.  
  
"Our fourth contestant, Chun Li Xiang!"  
  
The Chinese fighter stepped out in a blue bikini, complete with a sarong skirt tied at the waist. She had unwrapped the buns, but left her hair into two braids. She stretched in front of the judges, showing off the curves in her legs, as well as everything else.  
  
Vega was thinking evil thoughts in his head. Ryu on the other hand, merely grinned.  
  
"The next contestant is Karin Kanzuki!"  
  
The schoolgirl heiress pranced out, this time in a red-and-black bikini and a pair of sandals. She struck another pose before stepping off the stage.  
  
"Contestant number six: Pullum Purna!"  
  
The Indian fighter stepped onto the stage, wearing a light blue bikini. Her hair was doe in her usual ponytail. She spun on her tiptpes, ballerina-style before departing the stage.  
  
"From Italy, Rose!"  
  
The fortneteller came out clad in a bikini the same color as her hair. Stopping in front of the judges' table, she conjured up a tarot card and threw it a Bison, who simply deflected it before departing form the stage.  
  
"And our last contestant," The announcer said, "Juli!"  
  
The fomrer Shadowlaw assassin stepped out onto the stage, wearing a solid black bikini, her hair in here usual style.  
  
Juli had a figure that only Chun Li, Eliza and Rose can match. The majority of the audience was drooling at Juli's figure, just as they have done with the other women. She simply smiled, spun, and walked off the stage.  
  
"In a matter of moments, we will have our talent competition!"  
  
Ryu sighed. 'If I live through this, I'm really gonna kill Ken.' 


	12. Talent Competition: Maki

Chapter Twelve: Talent Competition--Maki  
  
Two hours into the pageant...  
  
Ryu shifted in his seat. The talent competition was going on smoothly, eventhough some of the talents were downright awful. 'At least there are four more,' he thought. Rose had just finished her talent, while Karin was forced to withdraw, seeing as she ended up with food poisoning.  
  
"And now," the announcer was saying, "our next contestant, from Japan, representing the Bushin school, Maki!"  
  
Maki came out onto the stage, dressed in her red Bushin ninja uniform and red-and-white tennis shoes. Her baton was in one hand as she stepped into the center of the stage. Originally, she had planned on doing a martial arts kata, but Rolento had other plans.  
  
At Rolento's silent signal, five men dropped silently from the celiling and circled Maki. From the judges' table, Haggar stared daggers at Rolento, seeing as there were his men from his private army.   
  
Back on the stage, Maki watched as the knife-wielding men circle her. A smile crept across her lips as she decided to use this situation to her advantage. Maki watched the men and lowered her defenses.  
  
'Let's see...what did Guy taught me...the first person that's going to attack is on my...RIGHT!'  
  
Sure enough, as she finished out that thought, the first guy on her right attacked, bringing his knife in an swing at her face. Maki blocked the incomeing blow with her baton and grabbed the guy's wrist. The secong guy on her right came in, but she lashed out with a kick that connected to the side of his face, knocking him down.  
  
As for the guy whose arm she had in an arm bar, she flipped him to the ground and knocked him out with a fist to the face.   
  
The third mercenary opted to throw his knife at Maki. Quickly, Maki's free hand snapped up and caught the weapon. She then flung it back, handle-first, and it connected in the guy's forehead, bringing him down.  
  
The last two mercenaries moved in to attack. One of them were closer than the other so Maki took him down with a kick to the groin when he was close enough. When he was on his knees, Maki jumped in the air and used him as something solid to jump off from. After propelling herself (and knocking out the mercenary with a double foot to the face) from the merc, she launched herself at the last remaining mercenary. Grabbing his shoulders, she flipped him and then slammed him into the floor.  
  
It was all over in less than three minutes. Five men were on the ground and Maki was the only one left standing.  
  
The audience, minus Rolento and his men, thinking that was all a part of Maki's talent, applauded. Maki decided to go along with it. She bows and walks off the stage. 


	13. Cammy

Chapter Thirteen: Cammy  
  
Note: Cammy's talent is my personal homage to Kirsten Dunst's tap dancing scene from the movie 'Drop Dead Goregeous.' Bah.  
  
This chapter is also short. Ugh. (falls over with a thud)  
  
"From the United Kingdom," the announder boomed, "representing MI-6, Cammy White!"  
  
After the applause does down, Cammy walks out onto the stage, her tap shoes clicking on the hardwood floor. She was wearing a men's tuxedo, complete with a top hat, several strands of blonde hair peeking out.  
  
She began her talent by doing a couple of steps, then when the song began, she started to get really into it. You really could never tell that by looking at the reserved British agent that she like to tap dance, but she was showing it now. The loud drum beats seem to fly from her hands and feet as they punctuate the rhythm. Cammy made it appear effortless as she danced around the stage as the audience's eyes were on her for the next forty-five seconds.  
  
Cammy concludes her talent at center stage as her song concludes. The audience is going nuts. Cammy took off her hat and gave a thumbs-up to her teamates berfore running off the stage. 


	14. Juli

Chapter Fourteen: Juli  
  
(...) denotes backup singers  
  
"And now," the announcer was saying, "representing Shadowlaw...Juli!"  
  
['License to Kill' begins to play...]  
  
The stage is dark. When the first notes of the song began to play, a lone spotlight shined on Juli. She was wearing a sexy black dress, back exposed. Her hair was done in her usual bun with the bangs framing her face. She was standing in front of a microphone, her eyes closed.  
  
When the lights came on, exposing the stage, several members of Shadowlaw made up the band while Juni, Satsuki and Marz acted as backup singers.  
  
Juli opened her eyes and began to sing.  
  
[Hey, baby, thought you were the one who tried to run away]  
  
Her voice was almost similar to that of Chun Li's only a shade huskier.  
  
[Ohh, baby, wasn't I the one who made you want to stay?]  
  
[Please don't bet that you'll ever escape me]  
  
[Once I get my sights on you,]  
  
Bison looked at Ryu, and smirked, thinking that he had gotten Juli's vote cinched.  
  
[Got a license to kill] (to kill)  
  
[And you know I'm going straight for your heart.]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[Got a license to kill] (to kill)  
  
[Anyone who tries to tear us apart]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[License to kill.]  
  
From backstage, Eliza nudged Chun Li. "I'd hate to admit this, but she's good."  
  
Chun Li nodded absently. She looked at Ryu. He was simply doing his job as he scribbled down some notes.  
  
[Hey baby, think you need a friend to stand here by your side?]  
  
[Yes you do]  
  
(your side)  
  
[Ohh baby, now you can depend on me to make things right]  
  
(things right)  
  
[Please don't bet that you'll ever escape me]  
  
[When I get my sights on you]  
  
[Got a license to kill] (to kill)  
  
[And you know I'm going straight for your heart.]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[Got a license to kill] (to kill)  
  
[Anyone who tries to tear us apart]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[Say that somebody tries to make a move on you]  
  
[In the blink of an eye I will be there to]  
  
[And they better know why I'm gonna make them 'em pay]  
  
[Till their dying day]  
  
[Till their dying day]  
  
[Till their dying day]  
  
As Juli sung the chorus again, Chun Li and Eliza frowned. "Man," the blonde woman said. "She's real good."  
  
Chun Li's frown deepened. "Yeah. I can see that."  
  
[Got a license to kill] (to kill)  
  
[And you know I'm heading straight for your heart.]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[Got a license to kill]  
  
[Anyone who tries to tear us apart.]  
  
(Got a license to kill)  
  
[License to kill]  
  
[Gotta hold onto your loving.]  
  
[License to kill]  
  
When the song ended, Bison applauded, as did the rest of the audience. Ryu, as he hadted to admit it, Juli was going to be a tough person to beat. 


	15. Eliza

Chapter Fifteen: Eliza  
  
"From the Masters Foundation," The announcer introduced, "Elizabeth Masters!"  
  
The crowd--especially Ken applauded as Eliza stepped out onto the stage, wearing a sexy red dress and black knee-high boots. Her long blonde hair was tied into a single ponytail and was slung over one shoulder. Flashing a grin, she stepped up wo the microphone just as her song, 'Glory of Love,' began to play.  
  
[Note: The song Glory of Love was sung by Peter Cetra. In Eliza's case. I had to change some of the words around. Bah]  
  
[Tonight it's very clear]  
  
[Cause we're both lying here]  
  
[There's so many things I wanna say]  
  
Note: To get a good idea on how Eliza's singing voice sounds, think Michelle Branch, just slightly older. Sorry, I came back from a blood drive.]  
  
[I will always love you]  
  
[I will never leave you alone]  
  
Ken knew that Eliza loved this song. It was one of her favorites.  
  
[Sometimes I just forget, say things I might regret]  
  
[It breaks your heart to see me crying]  
  
[I don't want to lose you]  
  
[I could never make it alone]  
  
From backstage, Chun Li, Cammy, and Juli watched Eliza perform. Chun Li looked at Ryu. He was watching Eliza sing, occasionally taking notes.  
  
[You are my man who will fight for my honor]  
  
[You'll be the hero that I'm dreaming of]  
  
[We'll live forever knowing together]  
  
[That we did it all for the glory of love]  
  
On stage, Eliza steeled herself to continue. She was doing a very good job not not showing that she was nervous. 'Come on, Eliza,' she thought. 'You can do it.'  
  
Looking directly at Ken, Eliza continued to sing.  
  
[You keep me standing tall]  
  
[You help me through it all]  
  
[I'm always strong when you're beside me]  
  
[I have always needed you]  
  
[I could never make it alone]  
  
From somewhere in backstage, Vega watched Eliza perform. 'Such beauty this woman has,' he thought. 'Her beauty and grace is second compare to mine. It is a shame that she is married to that idiot Masters. Maybe I'll ask Lord Bison if I can take her and make her mine.'  
  
[You are my man who will fight for my honor]  
  
[You'll be the hero that I'm dreaming of]  
  
[We'll live forever knowing together]  
  
[That we did it all for the glory of love]  
  
The song reached a cresendo as Eliza contiuned on.  
  
[Like a knight in shining armor]  
  
[From a long time ago]  
  
[Just in time you will will save the day ]  
  
[Take me to your castle far away]  
  
From backstage, Cammy and Chun Li grinned, knowing that Eliza had gotten through her stage fright and that she was going to be okay.  
  
[You are my man who will fight for my honor]  
  
[You'll be the hero that I'm dreaming of]  
  
[We'll live forever knowing together]  
  
[That we did it all for the glory of love]  
  
[We'll live forever knowing together]  
  
[That we did it all for the glory of love]  
  
The audience applauded the blonde woman as her song finished. With a bow, Eliza blew off a kiss as she walked off the stage. 


	16. Chun Li

Chapter Sixteen: Chun Li  
  
(...) denotes backup singers  
  
"And now, our final contestant...representing Interpol, Chun Li Xiang!"  
  
As the Chinese martial artist walked out onto the stage, the crowd--good and bad--broke into applause. When Bison turned around to look at his side, the Shadowlaw troops went silent.  
  
Chun Li was dressed in a dark blue Mandarin-style dress with a rose design on the front. Her hair fell down her shoulders, slightly wavy from having it braided and bunned.  
  
She walked to the microphone just as 'You Got It All' begins to play. Behind and to the side of here, were two female singers singing backup. Taking her place behind the instrument, she flashed a smile and said, "This song is dedicated to a certain man in the crowd."  
  
From his place at the judges' table, Ryu groaned and slouched low as the other judges--Bison included--chuckled lightly.  
  
Chun Li began to sing.  
  
[I...I was a game he would play.]  
  
As Chun Li brushed a strand of strand of hair back, Ryu noticed something gleaming on her finger.  
  
It was the diamond ring Ryu had shown her from the previous night!  
  
[He brought the clouds to my day.]  
  
[Then like a ray of light,]  
  
[You came my way one night.]  
  
Chun Li saw Ryu's shocked expression and smiled knowingly. She had given him her answer as she continued to sing.  
  
[Just one look and I knew]  
  
[You would make everything clear.]  
  
[Make all the clouds disappear]  
  
Ryu then realized that the song that Chun Li was singing was THEIR song, which was one of her favorites. She was playing it the night before she left for Honolulu to prepare for the pageant.  
  
[Put all your fears to rest,]  
  
[Who do I love the best?]  
  
Chun Li began to grow more confident as she starts to get into the song.  
  
[Don't you know, don't you know]  
  
[You got it all over him,]  
  
[You got me over him,]  
  
[Honey it's true.]  
  
She points to Ryu.  
  
[There's just you...]  
  
[You must have been heaven sent]  
  
[Hearing me call you when]  
  
[Out on a limb.]  
  
[And you're all that he's not]  
  
[Just look what I got]  
  
[Cause you got it all...over him]  
  
Backstage, Eliza, Cammy and Juli were secretly rooting Chun Li on, praying that she didn't screw up.  
  
[No, don't let him worry you so.]  
  
[Once I met you I let go,]  
  
[Oh you can surely see]  
  
[You're so much more to me...]  
  
By this time, Chun Li had all of the audience under her spell from her voice. In her mind, everyone had disappeared.  
  
[All except Ryu.]  
  
[Just one look and I knew]  
  
[You would make everything clear.]  
  
[Make all the clouds disappear]  
  
[You're better than all the rest,]  
  
[Who do I love the best?]  
  
From the judges' table, Ryu remembered the night before she left for hawaii. When she was playing that song, she had asked him to slow-dance with him. Naturally, Ryu delined, but Chun Li pulled him up and taught him how to slow dance. While they held each other close, she was singing.  
  
[Don't you know, don't you know]  
  
[You got it all over him,]  
  
[You got me over him,]  
  
[Honey it's true.]  
  
[There's just you...]  
  
[You must have been heaven sent]  
  
[Hearing me call you when]  
  
[Out on a limb.]  
  
[And you're all that he's not]  
  
[Just look what I got]  
  
[Cause you got it all...all over him]  
  
(You got it all over him,  
  
You got me over him,)  
  
[Honey, it's true]  
  
[There's just you...]  
  
[You must have been heaven sent]  
  
[Hearing me call you when]  
  
[Out on a limb.]  
  
[And you're all that he's not]  
  
[Just look what I got]  
  
[Cause you got it all...all over him]  
  
When the song ended, the entire crowd erupted in applause. Ryu was clapping the loudest, a broad smile across his face. Even the Shadowlaw troops were clapping for their General's nemesis.  
  
Chun Li bowed. "Thank you. Thank you." With that, she departed from the stage. 


	17. Outcome

Chapter Seventeen: Outcome  
  
"And now," the announcer said, "you have seen the talents of these extraordinary young women. Now, the judges will decide who is the winner of the Miss World Warrior Pageant!"  
  
Ryu, Ken, Fei, Haggar, Guile, Bison, Sagat, Rolento, Cracker Jack, Doctrine Dark and Vega began to vote for the contestants. Bison made a scene as he chose Juli. while he couldn't tell who the others have voted for.  
  
The eight contestants were on the stage, dressed in their best attire, hoping that they would be declared the winner.  
  
Finally, the votes were talled and were given to the announcer. Grabbing his microphone, The announcer began to declare the winnners. "In third place, representing the Bushin-ryu School of Ninja Arts, Maki!"  
  
The blonde Japanese woman, wearing a racecar-red dress jumped up and down in joy. It wasn't first place for Maki, but it was close enough.  
  
"In second place, from MI-6, Cammy White!"  
  
Cheers and whoops came from Cammy's Delta Red squad as Cammy received her prize, while the others politely applauded.  
  
"And now," the announder held up the envelope which contained the first place award. "The moment you have all been waiting for." He opened the envelope. "The first place prize goes to..." He looked at the sheet of paper and gasped. "Wait-a-minute! We have a three-way tie!"  
  
Bison, who had been taking a sip of water from his glass, spat it out in surprise. "WHAT?!" he bellowed.  
  
Even Ryu and Ken were surprised.  
  
The announcer looked at the sheet of paper. "It's a tie between Chun Li Xiang, Eliza Masters and Juli!" He looked at the judges' votes. "Ryu, Fei, and Haggar voted for Chun Li, Ken, Rolento, and Guile voted for Eliza, Bison, Vega and Cracker Jack voted for Juli and the other two are undecided."  
  
Bison was very pissed. "YOU BASTARDS! GET THEM!"  
  
Ryu sighed. "Here we go."  
  
"Crap," Ken muttered.  
  
That's when all hell broke loose.  
  
The Special Forces, MI-6 and Interpol attacked Shadowlaw, while Guile attacked Bison. Doctrine Dark and Cracker Jack joined in the fray. Haggar and Darum Mister, who was there escorting Pullum Purna, began wrestling, knocking over other fighters aside. Fei was fighting off numerous Shadowlaw soldiers in a fashion that would remind someone of Bruce Lee's big fight scene from 'Enter the Dragon.' Rolento and his men also entered in the fight, this time going against Shadowlaw and assisting the good guys. Sagat had attempted to reach Ryu and force him into a showdown, but had to go through several troops that were in his way.  
  
Chun Li and Eliza had moved to the sidelines, seeing as how Eliza didn't have any martial arts training. Vega, on the other hand, held no compunctions. Donning his claw, he leapt into the air, on a course straight for Eliza.  
  
Ken saw this and was helpless, seeing as Eliza was far away. "ELIZA!"  
  
Vega landed in front of Eliza and Chun Li, who began backing away. A sadistic smile crept across his lips as he brought his claws to bear. "Hello, my pretty," he said. "Your husband can't help you now."  
  
Chun Li stood in front of Eliza, preparing to defend her friend.  
  
"Hyah!"  
  
Vega staggered forward, thanks to a well-placed dropkick from Juli. When Vega spun around, Juli hammered him, drawing blood. The Chinese agent and the former assassin double-teamed Vega, trading blows. Juli then finished him with a Thrust Kick. Vega was out like a light. Juli nodded in understanding to Chun Li, who led to Eliza to safety at the judges' table, where Ryu and Ken were located.  
  
"What was that all about?" Chun Li asked about Juli's actions.  
  
"Mutual respect," Ryu replied as he undid the sash that held his robe together. Upon sheding his yukata, Ryu revealed that he was wearing his usual karate gi underneath the formal gear. His brown fighting gloves were stuck in his belt.  
  
Chun Li blinked. "You were wearing that gi the whole time?"  
  
Ryu simply smiled as he put on his gloves. "I was expecting something like this should happen." He looked at Ken. "Ready, hotshot?"  
  
Ken cracked his knuckles. "You bet, muscleman!"  
  
Eliza shook her head. "Boys will be boys."  
  
Ken and Ryu jumped into the fray, their path littered with fallen soldiers.   
  
While the fighting was going on, Vega regained consciousness. Ken saw this and made a beeline for the injured Spanish Ninja, leaving Ryu to deal with some unruly members of Rolento's army.  
  
Vega saw Ken coming and leapt into the air, hoping to catch the Masters family heir with his Izuna Drop. The blond Shotokan fighter saw it coming and countered with a scorching Shouryuken. When Vega landed, Ken hoisted him to his feet and started to beat the living hell out of him.  
  
"This is for trying to mess with my wife!"  
  
SMACK! A punch to the face.  
  
"This is trying to suplex my wife!"  
  
KRACK! KRACK! POW! Two kicks, followed by a haymaker.   
  
SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!  
  
Ken leapt into the air and damaged Vega's face even more with his Hurricane Gale Kick, which was followed by...  
  
"SHINRYUKEN!"  
  
By the time Vega came back down from being hit numerous times from the Vaccuum Dragon Punch, he was already unconscious.  
  
Ken looked at his handiwork and grinned. "Attack me OR my wife, and I will kick your ass again!"  
  
Meanwhile, Sagat had his sights on Ryu and was stomping his way towards him, knocking over fighting soldiers on their backs (Bison and Guile included), carving a path toward his nemesis like Godzilla stomping through Tokyo. Ryu saw him coming and and commandos prepared himself. He pulled the gi jacket off so that it was hanging off at the waist, Heihachi Mishima-style and tightened his headband.  
  
Sagat cracked his neck muscles and his knuckles. In the midst of the chaos surrounding them, they stare each other down in a Mexican-style standoff. Eventhough Sagat hated Ryu for giving him the scar years, he had some respect for the shorter man that was standing before him.  
  
Then the two men charged. Blows were exchanged and despite Sagat having the height advantage, Ryu had gotten him with several good shots and Sagat was returning the favor.  
  
"TIGER GENOCIDE!" Sagat bellowed as he went into the Tiger Crush, which was followed by two consecutive Tiger Blows. In his fevor, however, he failed to notice that Ryu had rolled out of the way and Sagat had unfortunately nailed a Shadowlaw soldier. When the Muay Thai Emperor saw that it wasn't Ryu, he spun around...  
  
"SHIN..."  
  
Ryu's fist slammed into Sagat's massive torso. Sagat's eye went wide in surprise and in pain.  
  
"SHO..."  
  
Ryu's other fist went into Sagat's ribs.  
  
"RYU...KEN!"  
  
Both combatants were launched into the air. Sagat landed on his back, effectively knocked out from the Shinshoryuken, while Ryu landed on his feet.  
  
***  
  
Later on, at the Masters' Condo...  
  
Eliza and Chun Li were busy tending to their respective man's wounds. Ryu had gotten tagged with several good shots, while Ken, trying to show off in front of Eliza, was on the receiving end of Cracker Jack's baseball bat.  
  
"I hope you two enjoyed youselves," Eliza scolded as she applied a bandage on her banged-up husband. She looked at Ryu and frowned. "How did he managed to end up with less bruises?"  
  
"You can say that I'm a lot tougher than most people think," Ryu replied. "Besides, I've been in worse fights than this."  
  
"I see that," Eliza replied.  
  
Chun Li finished bandaging Ryu's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Ryu, may I have a word with you outside?"  
  
Ryu nodded and follow Chun Li outside.  
  
***  
  
Out in the backyard, Chun Li had her back to Ryu. "So what is it you wanted me to talk about?" he asked.  
  
Chun Li didin't answer. Instead, she was thinking about her next move. One that was the most important in her life. She turned around and faced Ryu. "Remember last night when you asked me to marry you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Chun Li bit her lip. "I've thought about it long and hard and I came to a decision." She was enjoying watching Ryu looking nervous. She broke into a grin. "Yes. Under one condition."  
  
"And that is?" Ryu responded.  
  
"Allow me to keep my last name."  
  
Ryu nodded. "Deal."  
  
Chun Li flashed the biggest smile ever as she flung herself in Ryu's arms. The Japanese martial artist held his fiancee for a long time.  
  
Then the romantic moment was broken when there was a thump at the door. Ryu and Chun Li turned to the condo. Ken and Eliza were picking themselves up from the ground.  
  
"How long were you two there?" Chun Li asked.  
  
"Long enough," the blonde woman replied, grinning.   
  
"So where's the wedding taking place?" Ken asked.  
  
"All in due time," Ryu replied. "Now do you two mind?"  
  
With that Eliza and Ken walked back into the house, leaving the newly engaged couple alone.  
  
Chun Li looked at the ring. "It's really beautiful," she said. "How can you afford this?"  
  
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "I told you before. I have money. I just don't spend it."  
  
Chun Li smiled and kissed him.  
  
End.  
  
Songs used in this fanfic:  
  
Everything I Do I Do It For You  
  
Sung By: Bryan Adams (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Soundtrack)   
  
Remade By: Brandy  
  
Only Hope  
  
Sung By: Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack. Ex-girlfreind favorite.)  
  
Glory of Love  
  
Sung By: Peter Cetera (Karate Kid II Soundtrack)  
  
License to Kill  
  
Sung By: Gladys Knight (License to Kill Soundtrack)  
  
You Got It All  
  
Sung By: The Jets (my favorite)  
  
Remade By: Britney Spears (my ex-girlfriend/writer loves her version) and unknown artist. 


End file.
